Sanctuary
by Doomkitty25
Summary: Alec escapes Alicante after learning that Valentine is prepared to destroy the pocket realms that Downworlder's were using as refugee camps after the Circle defeated the Clave. Alec is desperate to get information to one of the resistance leaders, Magnus Bane. The resistance has no use for Shadowhunters, but Alec convinces them to let him see Magnus.


Chapter 1 - Sacrifice - Posted

Alec stumbled and caught himself on the brick wall of the building he hoped like hell had a Downworlder meeting currently underway. They'd fought like hell for the intelligence that led him here, and he prayed to the Angel that it wasn't for nothing. Feverish shakes made him unsteady as he slowly opened the door, but he pushed through because he only had one shot. Izzy's life depended on it. A loud bang echoed in the dark corridor noisily announcing Alec's presence, and he took a deep breath in preparation. He knew there would be guards, and sure enough two vampires sat in the foyer of the building.

The vampires wasted no time charging him, grabbing his arms and jerking him to his knees. Alec went with no resistance, he was too weak to really put up a fight anyway.

"What the fuck are you doing here Nephilim?" One of the men holding him growled.

"Magnus Bane. I have information for Magnus Bane." He said desperately, knowing it was going to take more, but feeling his way carefully before he gave anything away. The resistance was notoriously cagey. Valentine had decimated the Downworlder ranks so much so that very few of them lived in cities any longer. Most had fled to pocket dimensions when the Circle had taken over the Clave. A faction of each of the Downworld races had come together, knowing that leaving Valentine unchecked was too dangerous. Magnus Bane was one of their leaders.

"What makes you think we're just going to take you to Magnus?" The second vampire asked with a sneer squeezing Alec's arms, intentionally bruising him. "We're taking you to Raph." The first vamp just nodded and they pulled Alec behind them not bothering to allow him to catch his breath or get his feet under him. He could see them looking at one another, wondering why the hell Alec wasn't fighting them, but he was already struggling to focus. It had been over 7 hours since he left Alicante.

Alec's fever made it incredibly difficult for him to follow their progress through the building. He had no idea what floor they were on, or where they were exactly by the time the vampires came to a stop and threw him to the floor in front of their well dressed leader.

"Who are you?" Alec could hear the controlled fury in the man's voice. He was cool, austere, and controlled, but the rage in his voice hit like a solid punch.

Alec shuddered as pain spiked through his blood. "Not important." he gasped out. "Have. Information. For. Magnus." Through clenched teeth he tried to express how important it was that he see Magnus.

"Well maybe we think your information is worthless Nephilim, just like you." The vampire was looking him over, but he held onto his air of complete disdain as he dismissed Alec. The man waved to the two vampires that brought him in. Clearly indicating that he should be taken away.

"Important. Seelie traitor. Need to tell him." Alec curled into himself, wrapping his arms around his stomach. He knew he was dying, and ordinarily he'd reach for his steele, but this far along it was useless. He thought he had at least four more hours. He was deteriorating too quickly to give the information he needed to give. A wave of pain so intense he could barely breathe overtook him, and the room around him began to fade. Fuck was all he could think as he felt consciousness slowly start to slip away from him.

"Raphael, what the hell is going on?" Alec heard through his pain, he could feel the power in the voice, a bright shining beacon that Alec clung to. He felt his skin pebble as a cooling sensation brushed against him. If there was any response from Raphael, Alec didn't hear it. All he could focus on was the magic pushing away the pain. Turning gentle, the voice said very clearly into his ear, "Nephilim I'm healing you just enough to tell me what the hell is going on."

Alec was getting clearer. Clear enough that he could talk without gasping through the pain. His vision was still a blur, so he didn't even bother looking around. "Need to tell Magnus, Meliorn is coming, but he needs what's in here." Alec put his hand in his jacket, but felt someone grab it and jerk it away. The hand that held his was warm, soft without any calluses, and Alec couldn't help but think soothing. Which was weird.

"Uh uh, not so fast Nephilim." The powerful voice said.

Alec nodded, eyes still very firmly shut, "Folder in my jacket. Has what Meliorn needs. Seelie traitor. You're all in danger." Even healed, all he could manage was short choppy fragments. Soon he would be dust, very soon he would lose any chance he had of saving his sister's life.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't trust you." the man said waspishly, any gentleness from before entirely vanished.

Alec felt the sting, but the words were more than expected. He didn't even know this man, but Alec was a Shadowhunter. It was a miracle they hadn't just killed him on sight. "S'okay, you don't need to. Meliorn and Izzy know. They'll tell you. But they need what's here. Keep Izzy safe, have to tell Magnus." Alec gasped, whatever healing the man had performed was fading. The hand holding his flipped it over and looked at the back of his hand.

"He's got a sacrifice rune on his hand." the voice said with a growl. Alec was too far gone to know who even spoke. His blood was boiling."Magnus, who is this man?" He heard someone ask.

"I have no idea, but he knows Izzy and Meliorn, so I'm going to heal him. Honestly, even if I heal him he'll be too weak to do any major damage. He's dying with or without our help."

Alec knew they were speaking, but it was like his mind couldn't quite parse the words. The cooling sensation was back, only stronger than before, and Alec was surprised to feel well enough to open his eyes. Then he wished like hell he'd kept them closed. Raphael was standing over him glower on par with his mother's when Jace did something stupid dragging Alec along with him. But it was the man beside him that made him draw in a breath. Crouched down beside him on the floor was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. Caramel skin, black hair streaked with red, eyes lined in black made the most disarming expression he'd ever seen from anyone in his life. Alec could feel the burn along his skin. Something in the man's gaze made heat explode inside of him.

"There you are Nephilim, are you well enough to answer some questions?" The man asked again far more gently than any Nephilim had the right to ask for, which confused the hell out of Alec. He was a warlock, the power radiating off of him was undeniable, but he spoke to Alec as if his race hadn't been responsible for nearly obliterating the Downworld. Then it clicked. He must be Magnus. There was no other explanation.

"Are you Magnus?" Alec asked in a daze. Izzy had described him once, and he sort of fit her description. She hadn't said he was so beautiful that Alec would lose any ability to focus in his presence, but she had said he dressed impeccably. Alec didn't really know one fashion thing from the other, but the man looked incredible. Red silk shirt open at the neck giving a tantalizing view of his very toned chest, tight black pants, gold necklaces, all created this dramatic image that enhanced the sheer power Alec could feel rolling off him.

He could hear Raphael sputtering, but every ounce of attention Alec had was on the warlock beside him.

Magnus gave him a considering look, smirked, and said "Yes, and who might you be?"

"Alec..Alexander Lightwood, but everyone just calls me Alec." Alec stuttered, stumbling over his words. Magnus had healed him enough that apparently he could feel embarrassment once again. Over his very short life, he could count on one hand, well one finger really, the number of men who'd made him completely lose his ability to focus. Closing his eyes to try and get it together, he took a deep breath. He was dying, he literally did not have time for this.

"Ah, Alexander, brother to Isabelle then. Honestly the resemblance is obvious now." Magnus said with an intense frown. Magnus took his hand again and said without preamble. "This is going to devastate her." He gently ran his thumb over the sacrifice rune on the back of Alec's hand causing a slight shiver he hoped Magnus didn't notice. It was something Valentine had created not long after the Circle had risen to power. He bound the Shadowhunters to a rune sigil he'd created. It was given to every Shadowhunter during their runeing ceremony. If you missed a check in, your rune activated. You would have 12 hours to return to your Institute head or immediate supervisor to have the rune deactivated. The minute Alec stepped outside the boundaries of Alicante, the rune had activated and the clock had started. He had 12 hours which never would have been enough time. When the clock stopped, your body would turn to dust, a demon death for a traitor or someone too weak to escape capture.

Alec sighed. "I didn't have a choice." He and Jace had argued for hours, but in the end Jace had conceded that Alec had to try. They couldn't send fire messages because the Warlock slaves in Alicante would track them, phone calls were out because the only person he could call would be Izzy and she and Meliorn were undercover. The only viable choice was either Jace or Alec going alone and triggering the damn rune. Jace was the more conspicuous of the two of them, parabatai or not. Jace might die, Alec was definitely going to die, but millions of people would die if they didn't. In the end, there just hadn't been a choice.

Magnus stared at him intensely, before sighing and standing. "We all have choices Alexander." He turned to the vampire, "Raphael, let's get him away from prying eyes. One of the spare rooms will certainly be comfortable enough while we discuss what information he has from Alicante."

Raphael's expression revealed just how irritated that request made him, but he complied nevertheless. He reached down to help Alec stand, and led him none too gently towards a door on the side of the room. Alec was a little clearer, and he realized belatedly that they were in an empty nightclub of some kind. One that had bedrooms...so confusing. Raphael said nothing as he pushed him down the hallway towards the rooms, and Alec took the time to inventory his body. No open wounds, he wasn't bleeding, and the shaking had stopped. He could feel the weakness, but Magnus had given him some time. An hour maybe before he was back in the same shape he'd been in before he walked in the building.

The bedroom Raphael led him too was at the very least clean. A desk, a chair, and bed were the only pieces of furniture, and Alec didn't wait for an invitation. Pulling the folder from his jacket he put it on the table and motioned for Raphael to go ahead, then he dropped himself down on the bed and waited for whatever was to come. Apparently, that was Magnus and two other warlocks.

A dark skinned woman and a man with green skin flanked the warlock as he moved into the room. Waving his hand brought chairs into existence for everyone in the room, but Alec decided he was comfortable enough on the bed. If he was going to die in a few hours, at least he could be comfortable.

"So Alec, what exactly prompted you to leave Alicante on a suicide mission?" Magnus asked, not bothering to introduce the other two people in the room.

Alec watched Magnus as he began his story. "Valentine wants to destroy the pocket realms. The Seelie Queen made a deal with him to protect her realm, but she gave him the location of the details of what she said I don't have, but his targets are in the folder. To get to the pocket realms your people have fled to, he's going…" Alec broke off blood welling up in his throat making him choke. Magnus stood up quickly and moved to the bed his magic already soothing Alec.

"Jesus he'll kill us all." The lady warlock said. She stood as well, coming to stand beside Magnus and lend her skills to healing Alec as well.

Magnus frowned at Alec with such a look of intense sorrow Alec had to force himself not to turn away. Magnus had the most expressive face, and he wanted to spend every last minute looking at it as much as possible. He'd rarely ever met anyone who's emotions he could simply read like they were a book in a language he understood. For the most part, people and their emotions were a complete mystery to him. Magnus' brow pinched, and Alec had to fight the desire to reach out a hand and smooth it for him. By the Angel he wasn't just dying, he was losing his damn mind. "How has he found the realms, we made sure after the uprising that the gates were not traceable?"

Alec breathed a little easier, and the lady warlock sat back down. Magnus had taken his hand and was once again stroking his fingers across the sacrifice rune. "The mortal instruments were only part one of his plan. The entrances to the pocket worlds came from the Seelie Queen. I don't really know how she knew, but Meliorn confirmed that she told Valentine, and the targets fall in line with what Izzy has told me before. She and Meliorn had already left Alicante before I could get this to them." Alec huffed out a breath and Magnus soothed him quiet. At the gentle stroking of Magnus' hand on his face, Alec zoned out, the warlocks and Raphael were talking amongst themselves. He focused on the warmth of Magnus' hand on his, and the cooling sensation his magic brought.

Magnus squeezed his hand and Alec opened his eyes. Magnus looked devastated, and said with sadness dripping from his words, "Alexander you're dying. I genuinely cannot save you. I also can't get Isabelle here before you die. Is there something you wish for me to tell her?"

"Damnit Magnus, focus on the issue at hand. He knew what he was doing, we need to get as much information out of him as possible before he's gone." Raphael said with a sneer.

Magnus flinched, and turned a furious glare towards Raphael. "I'm sure everything we need is in the folder. Alexander doesn't appear to be a sloppy informant. And" He said with a furious growl, "Isabelle deserves any comfort we can offer her. She is an invaluable help to all of us." Isabelle had been working for the resistance for well over 3 years. Through a fluke accident, she'd been assumed dead soon after her runeing ceremony. Her sacrifice rune had never been calibrated. She'd been in hiding for a long time before Magnus had found her. Alec passed her information, saw her when he could, but she lived amongst the Downworlders. Meliorn could get her into Alicante when he came with a Seelie envoy, using Seelie magic to disguise her. She'd continued her training as a Shadowhunter outside of Alicante, banding together with the Shadowhunters that were able to desert. Alec realized she'd never told them that he was her informant. His overprotective little sister. Alec shifted on the bed and groaned.

"It's fine, there's a letter in the folder for her. If you'll make sure she gets it." Alec gasped as a shot of pain hit him and his body went taut.

Raphael's voice broke through his pain, just barely but Alec could tell he was somewhat regretful for the pain Alec's death was going to cause Izzy. "I'll see it done."

"Magnus, he's barely hanging on. Let us go look over his documents, you make him comfortable and join us when you're ready." The lady warlock said quietly and compassionately. The green skinned man was already on his way out of the door never having spoken a word that Alec could hear, Raphael behind him. The woman bowed her head to him, but she followed soon after.

"I really wish there was something I could do for you Angel." Magnus whispered, his hand gently stroking Alec's face a wonderfully cool sensation left behind at his touch.

"S'okay. Knew what I was doing." Alec mumbled.

"Doesn't make it any less tragic." Magnus countered. His magic gently drifting over Alec's body, relieving spikes of pain where he could.

"Don't waste your energy, s'not worth it. You're going to need it." Alec said as he pushed Magnus' hands off of him. Sad to see them go, but not wanting Magnus to waste his energy on such a pointless effort.

"I'll do as I damn well please Alexander." Magnus snapped and put his hands right back on the Shadowhunter.

Alec took in a large breath, amazed that this man would even try. Shadowhunters had gone on a rampage and slaughtered Downworlders at every opportunity after Valentine took over. The rats of his race had come out of the woodwork, using Valentine's crusade as an excuse to become vicious creatures. Yet this warlock ran gentle hands over Alec's body trying to soothe the pain of his choices. War made demons out of men and women alike, but a man with actual demon blood managed to create a space where Alec actually felt safe. For the first time in what felt like his whole life, he knew without question that if something came at him, the Warlock would protect him with his life. The only other person in Alec's life who had ever made him feel that way was Jace.

Alec gasped, suddenly unable to breathe, darkness surrounded him, all he could do was feel a fire like molten lava suffocating his very being. Lightning struck his body and a holy light illuminated the room. Alec screamed. Magnus was screaming beside him. With a sudden rush everything disappeared.

Magnus was on his knees beside the bed, and Alec was struggling to understand just what the hell was going on.

"Take a deep breath both of you." A melodic voice chimed at them. Alec did as directed, and sighed. He opened his eyes and before him stood a woman in a sky blue gown. Magnus had stood his arms wide, palms up, red magic flickering from his fingers. Alec realized he was protecting Alec from whatever was in the room with them.

Magnus was staring at the woman, so Alec could be relatively certain he hadn't completely lost it. She looked like someone he should know. Beautiful, long blonde hair, angelic. He gaped.

"You are very quick Alexander Lightwood. I am Muriel, the angel of Peace." Her voice was like the most soothing song he'd ever heard. Her presence was like an oasis in a storm. Alec could barely restrain the need to cry. He gasped through the feelings, and tried to calm himself. She was divinity. Pure unadulterated divinity.

"Magnus, I understand my presence can sometimes be painful for your kind. I cannot ease the feelings, so I ask that you leave Alexander in my care for a time." She gently inclined her head to the warlock.

Alec was confused, why had she asked permission. He didn't belong to the man. It dawned on Alec that she was respecting the Downworlder, she was showing deference to his protective nature. If Alec needed any more proof that Valentine's crusade was nothing but complete garbage, the Angel's actions would have cemented any concerns he might have had. "Of course my lady. Will you take care of this?" Magnus asked through clenched teeth. He had put his hand on Alec's and tapped the sacrifice rune as he spoke.

"It is my desire to give Alexander another choice." Was all she said, but her eyes were like serene pools, and Magnus seemed to take her words as affirmation. He turned to Alec before leaving the room.

"You are not bound to do as she asks." Magnus leaned down to whisper into his ear. Gentle hands squeezed Alec's, and Magnus left the room, leaving him alone with the Angel of Peace.

Chapter 2 - Peace - Posted

****Magnus****

**Magnus resisted the urge to run his fingers through his neatly styled hair as he exited the room with the Angel and the Nephilim. He'd had trouble breathing since he saw the boy on the floor. At first glance all Magnus had been able to see was the suffering, the pain, and the horrors of war in the faces surrounding the prone figure; but, after shouting at Raphael and putting his hands on the boys body, a few other things came through. A Shadowhunter, thick dark hair, and a face the Angels had clearly taken their time to craft. Despite his haggard appearance, he was dying after all, Magnus appreciated fine craftsmanship. He was beautiful and Magnus couldn't help feeling drawn to him. He was also the enemy. Shaking his head at his own idiocy, he'd seen beautiful boys before, he tried to focus so he could remember every last word Isabelle had said about her brothers.**

**She always spoke with such an intense loving wonder and longing for her family, closed off as she was as part of the resistance. The bravery and selflessness of the boy dying in the room behind him, made Magnus ache. Rarely in his life had he ever come across someone so willing to do the right thing, that they would throw away their life for it. Stories were written about such people, but they were rare occurrences in the real world. Face to face with such a man, and Magnus felt his heart flutter. Even with the complete shitstorm his presence had inspired. **

**Leaning against the wall, he could feel the Angel's power pulsing through the room, and was thus completely unsurprised by Ragnor, Catarina, and Raphael running down the corridor towards him. **

"**Magnus, what the hell are you doing. Any warlock in a 100 mile radius is going to know where we are. Shut the magic down now." Raphael demanded as he finally got within shouting distance. He was extra shouty today. **

**Ragnor put his hand on Raphael's arm, in an attempt to soothe him, recognizing the angelic power for what it was. Clearly they'd taken off down the corridor before speaking to one another. "How did you summon an Angel Magnus?" Ragnor asked in his rough grumpy way.**

**Magnus quirked a brow at Ragnor with his best "you can't be serious" expression. Ragnor tilted his head in a "what am I supposed to think" kind of way, which brought a sigh out of Magnus. He waved a hand at all of them, dismissing their concerns. "I summoned nothing. Clearly. The Angel came on her own, which means she is either masking her presence from the outside world, or she doesn't care enough to do so. I suggest one of you exit the building and see if you can still feel her energy. If so, we need to move."**

"**And you're what, just going to leave the Nephilim here to come after us? Have you completely lost it!" Raphael snapped.**

**Magnus was at the end of his patience. "Raphael," he snapped, "I will remind you that he is Izzy's brother. If you took half a minute to contemplate that, you would realize he's probably where she gets most of her information." Magnus said exasperated. Raphael is hands down one of the best guys he knows, Magnus likes him. He can be a colossal prick sometimes though. He was not at his best when stressed.**

"**That doesn't mean he's on our side or that we're safe, that any of us are safe here." Raphael said. Magnus knew he was on edge, hell they were all worried. Outside of Alec showing up and potentially compromising their position, being within the city limits put them all at risk. They had this base as a check-point for smuggling Downworlder children into the pocket realms. Valentine had Warlocks tracking resistance movement, so any use of magic had to be low key enough not to raise an alarm. There were several children in the lower floors, and Raphael was understandably worried about putting them at risk.**

**Catarina sighed audibly, and put her own hand on Raphael's arm. "I know you're worried, but his relationship with Isabelle does mean he's sympathetic. Is the angel going to save him?" Catarina turned to Magnus and asked. Interrupting their argument before they could escalate any further. **

"**I asked, she didn't explicitly say one way or the other, but her presence is implication enough I guess. She was oddly courteous for an overpowered greater being. In fact, approaching him here is curious. She could have done this at any point after he left Alicante and before he arrived, that she waited is interesting." Magnus looked over his friends carefully, watching it dawn on them what he had begun to suspect.**

"**She's either setting us up or she's giving us an edge in this war." Ragnor said with a brittish grumble. **

**Magnus nodded, "I suspect it's the latter."**

**Raphael rolled his eyes at what he perceived as Magnus' naivety and Ragnor just hummed. It was Catarina that got them moving. "Regardless of what her intent is, she is here and I do believe all of our people can feel her. Raphael break the news to everyone and tell them we're assessing the situation, Ragnor check the perimeter, I'll go speak with the children, and Magnus you see to our Angel visitors. It would be in our best interest to find out exactly what it is we're dealing with." With her commands given, the others quickly fell in line. Raphael stomping down the hall with Ragnor close behind.**

**Catarina took Magnus' hand, "Magnus be careful. You know as well as I that the Greater beings are rarely transparent in their desires."**

**Magnus waved a hand, "Cat my dear, It never even occurred to me not to be suspicious. I have met a greater demon or two, and in my mind Angels are not that far removed from their fallen counterparts."**

"**I just wanted to remind you." Catarina said with a squeeze of his hand. She turned and walked away, heading down the hall to find the kids and reassure them that all was well.**

****Alec****

**Alec wanted Magnus to come back, his presence had somewhat guarded him from the Angel, and now that he was gone Alec felt completely exposed. Nothing about her gave any indication that she was human. A beautiful golden glow surrounded her, and she moved with a grace Alec couldn't even comprehend. The light shining from her made him feel as if all his broken pieces were on display, and she could see down to the very rotten core of him. A small frown marred her expression and she seemed to pull her power back into herself.**

**She came closer, her glow dimming to a manageable level and Alec breathed a sigh of relief. **

"**Alec, your Warlock was not wrong. You do not have to do as I ask, and I will warn you that what I am asking of you will come with a price you may not be willing to suffer." She said her words gravely, and sat beside him on the bed, taking the hand with his sacrifice rune into her own.**

"**Why me?" Alec couldn't help but ask, even before knowing what she wanted or what the hell she meant by "your Warlock". Of all the Nephilim in all the world, what made her come to him. It made no sense. He worked hard and kept his head down, but he was a traitor to the circle. The Clave had been overthrown because they were weak, the circle had risen and the Angels wouldn't have allowed that if it were not meant to be, so what could she possibly see in him? A part of him wanted to desperately pull his hand away from her because there was no way something as pure as she was should be touching any part of him.**

**Almost like she knew what he was thinking, she drew her hand back so he wouldn't be so uncomfortable. "There could be no one else. Do you know what Valentine intends?" She stared at him intently and Alec couldn't help but feel like a bug under a microscope.**

"**The complete destruction of the Downworld races."**

**The Angel patted his hand like he'd done a good job answering her question. "Do you know what would happen if all of the Downworld were eliminated?" **

**Alec's gaze sharpened, and he struggled with what he should reveal. He was never meant to see the book that he'd seen, if Valentine knew of its existence he would have burned it years ago. Thankfully Alec got it to it first, but to have an Angel question his knowledge made him uneasy. Rather than openly admit what he knew, he hedged, "I suspect yes."**

**The Angel was having none of it. "Alexander, you read the book, but did you understand it."**

**Alec sighed wincing with the slow burning pain of his rune, she was clearly keeping his death at bay, but it didn't fully mask the pain. How she even knew he read the book was beyond him? She was going to accept nothing less than the truth, so he gave it to her, shame coloring every word. "Yes magic would die, and so would all of us."**

**She nodded her head with approval and Alec was struggling to understand how she could approve. Weren't the angels on Valentine's side. He was the leader of their children, why was she encouraging him to acknowledge his defiance?**

"**Valentine believes that the Nephilim will be spared. He believes that the Angels will not allow their children to suffer." She stood from the bed and waved her hand, a gentle healing wave making Alec far more comfortable than he had been, but as gentle and soothing as her magic was, he couldn't help but compare it to Magnus'. His magic had been like a breath of crisp fresh air after being inside all day long. Perfectly cool, and more comforting than the Angel helping him now. Alec could barely get his head around it.**

**Muriel finished her magic, but remained standing crossing her arms over her chest. She was worried and it showed in both her stance and her voice, "There are many of my kind that believe this is the ultimate path of destruction and thus must be carried out. That it is inevitable because the humanity in all of you drives you towards destruction." She sighed and with a frustrated shake of her head, said more harshly than Alec expected "I am telling you point blank, as open and honestly as I possibly can, that if he succeeds...magic will die. Any creature that depends on magic will die. This reality will collapse."**

**Alec could feel her frustration, and it fed his own. His confusion driving his need to lash out. "Then why did you let this happen? Why aren't people fighting him? Why is this even a problem? Just take the instruments from him and make him stop!" Alec wasn't well enough to be sitting, but he couldn't stop the fury that overcame him from propelling him upwards. She had power and she was doing nothing, for every action he took against the Circle she could have put a stop to it with one word. Shaking with his anger, he glared at the Angel of Peace.**

**The Angel shushed him and pushed him back gently and then sat back on the bed. "There are so many answers I could give you Alec, but none of them would satisfy you. We are failing." She hung her head and her blonde hair fell forwards, he could feel her sorrow and Alec couldn't help but ache for her. "You asked why you, and this is why. Your soul bleeds at the injustice. You are dying because you couldn't imagine a world where you were even remotely responsible for allowing this genocide to occur." She stood from her seat beside him and began to pace by his bedside. Alec watched the agitation make her seem far more human than she had since she'd shown herself.**

"**The Downworld is necessary to all of our survival. Why isn't that in the teachings?" Alec demanded of her, refusing to completely let go of his anger.**

**She stopped and sighed. "Because my brother can be shortsighted. He still doesn't understand how demanding that you protect all from the shadow world could lead to pure subjugation and death. He also never understood how the powers he bestowed actually worked. He left that to, well me." She said with an exasperated frown and a wave of her elegant hand.**

**Alec gaped. It was such a human failing to not see the consequences of your actions, that he was struggling with how that could possibly be true of Angels. Shouldn't they just know? Shouldn't they have all the answers?**

"**Alec, we do not have much more time. I must ask you if you will save the Downworld from your people? Will you fight for them? Protect them against your own? Will you walk with them through the storm that is about to ignite this world?" She asked him as she came towards him and desperately grabbed his hands, pleading with her eyes.**

**Alec looked up at the dark ceiling above him. She was putting him in a position to essentially become a pariah among his kind. "You said I would suffer. What did you mean?"**

**She sat back down on the bed and took his hand once again. "Your sacrifice rune cannot be removed, not entirely. It is a curse, a blood curse to be specific and I cannot drain every drop of your blood and give you new blood. I can extend the time over which the sacrifice rune is active and mitigate the symptoms. I can give you several years."**

**Alec knew what he was doing when he activated the rune. He knew he was going to die. Prolonging the inevitable seemed like a fool's errand, but at this point he didn't have a lot to lose.**

"**Can you mask it so no one can see it, permanently?"**

"**Yes, of course."**

"**If I say yes, what exactly will I be doing? How exactly will I protect the downworld from Valentine?"**

**The Angel schooled her expression and was suddenly all business. "You have two tasks. The book you found in Alicante, the one about the history of the downworld. It has a counterpart. The history of was written by the first Seelie. You will need to collect that book Magnus will help you, within its pages is a protection spell that Magnus can perform. That is your first task. The second thing you will need to do is help create a Sanctuary for the downworld where the Circle has no jurisdiction, but where all races are welcome. The book will guide you." She stood from Alec's bedside and let lose her power once again. The room glowed with her glittering light. "Do you swear, Alexander Lightwood, that you will do all that you can to execute the tasks I have given you?"**

**Alec could feel his anxiety rolling through him at the weight of her words. He could feel the divine proclamation igniting his blood. His hands were shaking, sweat began to bead on his skin, but he could give no other answer. "I so swear." A blinding flash filled the room, and Alec screamed until his lungs were raw. When he could draw a breath without pain, the Angel was no longer in the room. The rune on his hand was no longer present, but he felt the burn of a new rune over the base of his spine. He'd have to get up and look after he reconciled what the hell just happened. She'd made no mention of another rune. He was on a deathclock and a quest for the Angel of peace. It sounded like science fiction. It sounded like the furthest thing from reality. **

**When Magnus opened the door and stepped through, Alec still couldn't ground himself. The Angel was unreal, and the man walking towards him was equally as unreal. Confidence oozed from him. Black hair spiked up with red streaks, gold glitter surrounded his eyes, and a fierce look of intent on his face. Alec couldn't catch his breath. **

"**Breathe Alexander. You're going to be fine. Greater beings leave a power vacuum behind when they go. Just take deep breaths." Magnus said as he made his way to the bed. Alec couldn't sit still. He couldn't stay on the bed after everything that had just happened, so he jumped up to see if he could shake whatever anxiety was making his hands shake and his mind race. Pacing by the bed, in front of Magnus, Alec got control of his body. Coming to a stop, he turned to face Magnus and put his arms behind his back in a parade rest. He was ready.**

"**Alexander, how are you feeling?" Magnus asked with concern.**

**Alec looked at the man before him, clear eyed and not dying he had a few minutes to observe one of the leaders of the downworld resistance. He was captivating without question, his appearance alone gave an impression of power. Alicante had extensive files on him, and Alec had studied every one of them, but it hadn't at all prepared him to actually be face to face with the warlock. Izzy's description had been lacking, and there were no pictures. Alec took a deep breath and pushed it down. He couldn't afford to feel this, he couldn't afford to get this damn distracted over someone's face. **

"**I'm fine. Thank you." He said stiffly, cursing his own inability to be charming. Jace would have been so much better at this part. Dying, Alec was perfectly okay doing, but getting help from one of the most powerful people in the world whom also happened to be one of the most attractive Alec had ever seen….he was going to crash and burn. The beautiful shiny man in front of him probably thought Alec crawled out of a gutter somewhere. He was wearing black pants, a black sweater with holes, and black combat boots. Alec resisted the urge to see if his hair was okay. This was absolutely ridiculous. He clenched his fists and rubbed against the aching rune on his back.**

**Magnus tilted his head and gave a small flirty smile, almost as if he knew Alec was a mess of nerves in front of him, and Alec felt the blush burn his cheeks and resisted the urge tobash fully look away. Damnit. **

"**Darling you are clearly not fine." Magnus said and lifted his hand to stroke a finger down Alec's cheek. "If you were any more tense, you'd pass out from the strain. Why don't you sit down and tell me what the Angel has asked of you." **

**Alec huffed. "I'm fine." He said harshly. Not liking the idea that Magnus was managing him, but also, he wanted to grab his hand and pull him forward. It was confusing. He was confused. Right priorities. Angel. Mission. Alec closed his eyes and focused on the immediate problem. "She asked me to find a book and build a sanctuary for the shadow world." **

**Magnus raised his brows, his eyes wide with shock. "Oh is that all. A book and a sanctuary, and where exactly are you supposed to find these things? Are you secretly the wizard of Oz? Did you perhaps find a magical wardrobe when you were a child?" Magnus said incredulously.**

**Alec's face scrunched up, "I have no idea what you're talking about."**

**Magnus sighed dramatically and looked at Alec like he was a lost orphaned child, "Shadowhunters, complete incomprehension of modern media, utter tragedy." He walked over to the desk and waved his hand. "Drink, Shadowhunter? Because I need a drink." Magnus had a martini glass in his hand with some blue colored liquid. Alec had, at this point, a really fucking terrible day, so a drink sounded perfect. Even if he never drank. He accepted the glass Magnus passed him. "Alright so, did she give you nothing else?"**

**Alec took a drink and nearly spit it back out, the alcohol was like fire in his mouth. Jesus how did people drink this crap. He took another drink and felt warmth suffuse him and he relaxed. Oh that was probably why. "She said the book was a history of magic, written by the first Seelie and it has a protection spell in it that you'll need to perform."**

**Magnus whirled around and said incredulously. "Has she completely lost her mind?"**

**Alec looked at him curiously, "no?"**

"**That book is in Alicante. There is literally no way to get it out of the city." Magnus said with finality, leaning back against the desk and sipping his drink.**

**Alec took another gulp of his drink, enjoying the warmth and looseness he was feeling while also thinking about how he was going to contact Jace now that he wasn't dead, and what exactly his Mom knew about his disappearance. It had been less than a day really. "Looks like I'm going back." Alec said with a shrug.**

"**No, I don't care how pretty you are, this is stupid." Magnus said furiously as he pushed himself away from the desk.**

**Alec glared, and finished his drink to hide the blush from Magnus calling him pretty. Did he really think that? Setting the glass on the desk, he responded with a fierce "Yes."**

**Magnus downed his own drink, "If you think for one minute I'm going to let you…", stubbornness pinching his features. His eyes flashing at Alec, blue power crackling along his fingers, Magnus wasn't going to back down.**

**Alec stepped closer to Magnus using every inch of his height to stare the warlock down as he interrupted him. "I wasn't asking." Fire burned along his skin, and he wasn't sure if it was the power Magnus was leaking, or his intense desire to grab the man in front of him and shake him. Or kiss him. He couldn't really tell the difference at the moment.**

**Magnus' eyes snapped to a golden color and Alec fell into the heat they ignited in him. He had never in his life wanted to put his hands on someone so desperately. He'd watched Jace and Clary interact, he'd seen others in Alicante, but he'd never been so consumed with the need for another person that passion blinded him to reason. He wanted Magnus with him, he wanted them to do this together, he just didn't know how to say it. How did you tell someone you just met, someone you were arguing with, that you wanted to save the world together?**

Chapter 3 -Run- Posted

****Magnus****

**Magnus pulled every ounce of control he had managed to acquire in his incredibly long life around himself, so he didn't drag the furious Shadowhunter in front of him over to the bed in the room. In fact he really needed to get the bed out of the room, or any horizontal surface really, and well the vertical ones should probably go to. Christ the man was driving him crazy.**

**Magnus was arguably one of the most powerful people in the world, and the fire coming out of Alec's eyes was making him want to surrender to whatever he was saying. That would be bad, he had to shake himself. Alec going back to Alicante would mean certain death, and that was without knowing if the Angel had fixed the sacrifice rune. So Magnus stood his ground. Toe to Toe they glared at one another, not budging an inch, every bit of tension between them palpable. **

**Magnus felt his hand twitch with a desire to soothe the anger off of Alec's face, regardless of how good he looked glowering. Then the pure frustration at where the hell these feelings of protectiveness were coming from. It was almost as if something was binding them together in a way Magnus had never felt before. The man was a Shadowhunter. Seriously. Shadow. Hunter. Stupid brain. Was Magnus purposely trying to sabotage his own position in the resistance? Was something pushing them together in a bid to tear the resistance apart? He couldn't make sense of how he could feel so open to Alec within just a few hours of meeting him.**

**From one blink to the next, Alec had a hand in Magnus' shirt jerking him forward. Magnus could feel the heat from Alec's body, and the only thing that he could think is Finally! Then disappointment rushed through him as Alec brought his face closer, only to furiously state, "and you are going to help me save your people, I wasn't asking about that either." Magnus grabbed the Shadowhunter's fist on his shirt, pushed magic through his hand into Alec's causing Alec to gasp and let him go. Arrogance was something Magnus knew made him look like a dick, but he wasn't about to let the boy get away with pushing him around. Pretty or not. Once free of his grip, Magnus gave him a petty smirk and brushed his hands down his chest as if wiping Alec away. Magnus observed the heat in Alec's eyes, it wasn't just anger. Confusion and desire were clearly visible before he pulled the mask of anger back into place. Magnus had very little doubt he felt exactly what Magnus felt, but he was refusing to acknowledge it. He was using anger to put a wall between them. And honestly, Magnus could hardly blame him for having a some sense of self preservation. Even if he was really bad at it.**

**Before Magnus could tear into him for being an idiot, Catarina came rushing into the room. "Magnus there's a team of Shadowhunters less than a mile from the club. We need to get out of here now."**

"**The children?" Magnus waved his hands to bring up the ward configuration for the building, and sure enough Shadowhunter's were descending. Not close enough to trigger the wards just yet, but closer than Magnus was comfortable with.**

"**Safe. Ragnor is portaling them as we speak, but everyone else in the club is going to be fair game if we don't get out." Catarina said in a rush.**

"**Understood. Come Alexander, we can finish this conversation in a more secure location." Catarina had already gone through the door, when Magnus finally comprehended that Alex wasn't following.**

**Alec was shaking his head when Magnus looked back. "I'm not leaving. I have to get back to Alicante."**

"**And we'll discuss it, but right now, we need to go." He said impatiently.**

"**Magnus this isn't up for debate. I can slip passed a single patrol of Shadowhunters. I snuck out of a city full of them, and I'll get back in the same way. Go ahead get your people out, but I'm going back." Alec said with heavy finality.**

"**We don't have time for your idiotic desire to kill yourself, and if I'm right about that damn book, you need me." Magnus put his hands on his hips. Now was not the time to be arguing, but he needed to make the Shadowhunter see reason.**

"**What are you talking about? I don't understand."**

"**Alexander, you can't just simply pick the book up and walk out of the city. It's physically impossible as the book has special properties, and I will share what I know, after my people are safe."**

"**How do I know you're not lying?" Alec said suspiciously.**

**Magnus quirked a brow at him and waved his hand. "Obviously you don't."**

**Alec's gaze turned hard, but after a moment or two softened. It was like Magnus could see the minute Alec relented, and he was dying to know what caused Alec to just believe him. Curiouser and curiouser. "Are we fighting or running?" **

**Magnus looked at him like he'd lost his mind. You do not fight when there were children involved. Period. "Running of course."**

**Alec gave an exasperated huff. "If you've got any weapons handy, I'll cover you."**

"**Sweetheart you can cover me with or without weapons." Magnus was delighted when his obvious flirting made Alec's face turn so adorably red. The stuttering was just a bonus. **

"**I meant, I mean….It's just that if you." He took a deep breath. **

"**Oh don't you worry darling, I can give you a weapon or two." Magnus breathed every ounce of suggestion he could into the words, and watched Alec blush even harder.**

"**Magnus!" He whined. "Be serious."**

**Magnus couldn't help the small giggle that came out of him in response. "Oh very well Shadowhunter. Ruin all of my fun. Are you willing to damage your own?"**

**Alec was back to being all business, and he said seriously, "If they follow Valentine, they're not mine."**

**Magnus shrugged with acceptance. "Excellent, then what's your poison?"**

"**I don't use poison?" Alec's face scrunched up in confusion.**

**Magnus had to stare. Surely he wasn't serious, but a look at the man's expression and it was evident he had no idea what Magnus was talking about. "Oh for gods sake. It's a cliche, not even a modern one. What weapons do you want? You have your stele. What else?"**

**Alec tilted his head to the side, but blurted out without any hesitation, "A bow and blade will do."**

**Magnus pulled his magic up from his center and opened his arms wide, and with a snap of his fingers, he pulled the requested weapons from an old vault. "I might have had something lying around." He said cheekily.**

**Alec picked the weapons up from the bed where Magnus had sent them, his back to the warlock as he examined them. "This belonged to a Shadowhunter."**

**A clear question in his tone, but nothing Magnus wanted to get into with him at the moment. "Yes well, I haven't always been an enemy to your people. Will it suffice?"**

**Alec looked over his shoulder with a delightful grin on his face and Magnus felt his heart flutter. If he'd thought anger looked good on Alec, it was nothing to a full blown grin. The Nephilim was exquisite, and his words entirely echoed Magnus' thoughts. "Yes it's perfect."**

***** Alec *****

**Alec entered the room in front of Magnus, running his eyes over every dark corner looking for any movement. Magnus had glamoured him before they'd left the room, so the Shadowhunter's wouldn't see or feel him as one of their own. He'd activated a couple of his runes, stamina and deflect, just in case. As he'd run the stele over his neck he couldn't help but notice that Magnus watched him with heated eyes. Alec thought it might be attraction, but at the same time he couldn't fathom how a man like Magnus could even be remotely attracted to Alec. It was absurd. He was so clearly out of Magnus' league it was almost laughable. So he'd turned his attention to questioning Magnus about the layout of the club and drooling over the bow and the man in turn. **

**He had half a mind to ask Magnus if he could keep it. The bow was incredible. Whoever it had belonged to had known how to use it as it had custom modifications. The sword was fine, but the bow was divine. Magnus said they needed to get the vampires out, so they'd meet them about half way and Magnus would create a portal. The open room with the bars and the dance floor were all that stood between them and the Shadowhunters, and Alec could feel them. They were here, the shadows were not silent. "Careful." He whispered to the warlock behind him. Magnus tilted his head in acknowledgment but otherwise made no sound, and Alec continued to scan.**

**Raphael and his crew were coming around the corner, ready for Magnus to portal them all to safety when a flash caught Alec's eye. He drew his bow and fired. "Move." He shouted the command at the vampires. His extensive experience in the field pulling at his instincts made him turn and he shot off two more arrows to circumvent blades being thrown by Shadowhunters. Raphael glared at the knife in the wall beside his head, and turned a questioning glance toward Alec. Alec's arrow had broken the enemy Shadowhunter's aim enough that the blade missed Raphael's head.**

**Alec shrugged and waved him through the portal that Magnus had created, watching 6 more Shadowhunter's emerge from the darkness. "Magnus, they can trace the portal. What's the plan?" Alec pulled Magnus out of the way of a flying blade and ducked one himself pulling Magnus down with him.**

**Magnus raised a perfectly poised brow, "What makes you think there will be anything here for them to investigate." Magnus pushed a burst of energy out of his hands, knocking the enemy back, a look of annoyance on his face as he watched the vampires begin to file through the portal.**

**Alec's gaze sharpened, "you're just going to destroy a building?" The portal was where the Shadowhunters were concentrating their fire, and every arrow Alec shot foiled their aim. Frustration was make them sloppy and Alec frowned, Alicante trained the frustration out of you by 12. What the hell.**

"**Of course darling." Magnus said with a wink as the vampires all rushed through the portal. Alec fired three more arrows when his eyes were drawn to the far side of the room. Shit. Double Shit. **

"**MAGNUS!" He shouted to get the man's attention before he followed the Vampires. Magnus stepped back.**

"**What?"**

**Alec ducked as a knife came flying through the air. The Shadowhunters were almost on them, so he pulled Magnus back by his arm "one of the kids." He didn't point, not wanting to draw attention to her and make the Shadowhunter's aware. Magnus swore in his ear and closed the portal. **

"**I really am going to need you to cover me darling." Magnus' hands went wide and red magic ignited from his palms, he snapped his fingers and pushed out a wave of magic at the Shadowhunters approaching. Instead of looking to buy them time, he was looking to do harm this time. Alec felt the burn along his skin and adrenaline pumped in his veins. It was like Magnus was an energy shot as good as a stamina rune, and Alec was going to take full advantage.**

**Alec moved away from Magnus and jumped up on the bar beside them. Height always gave him somewhat of an advantage, and he drew his bow and started firing at the men coming at Magnus. Three of them went down in an explosion of red magic, 2 of them had arrows in their chests, but the sixth was proving a little more agile. He'd made it within reaching distance of Magnus, so Alec jumped from the bar landing right in front of the warlock with his blade drawn. Alec pushed the Shadowhunter back hard. The man stumbled and Alec knew he wasn't going to break a sweat with this guy. Swinging his sword at his side he lunged forward and attacked. Magnus was inching around them, on his way to the child, and Alec fully intended to make sure nothing happened to either one of them. Swinging his sword he met the Circle member blow for blow. The guy was only mildly skilled, which made Alec ponder exactly what the team had been doing in the area. Jace would have just ended the fight, but Alec was curious. **

**Alec faked a handicap and watched the Shadowhunter eat it up. This guy was either a new recruit, and he looked far too old for that, or he hadn't been trained in Alicante. Interesting. Magnus had the child and was waiting impatiently for Alec to finish, so he flipped sideways, twirled the sword around and used the handle of the sword to punch the man in the temple. He collapsed.**

**Magnus approached with the child, and asked curiously, "You were prolonging that because?"**

**Alec looked down at his boots. "He's not from Alicante. I've never seen any of them, and he's a shit fighter. So what the hell were they doing coming after you?"**

**He watched the realization dawn on Magus. "Scouting party not affiliated with Alicante so not traceable back to Valentine. He's playing something?"**

**Alec nodded. "He is or someone is. But I don't understand what the hell." At that point he noticed that the child was crying and it made him want to go back and punch the man again, or fire some more arrows into the fallen Shadowhunter's around them. Children shouldn't ever have to go through shit like this. He crouched down so he could look at her. She was hiding close to Magnus' legs, and Alec could just barely make out her warlock mark. He smiled at her, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Cool gills." He said with a nod. Her face lit up and she grinned at Alec, tears not completely gone, but getting there."What's your name?"**

"**Madzie." She said softly the grin not disappearing.**

"**Well Madzie. Magnus and I are going to get you out of here, and keep you safe. Sound good?"**

"**Yeah." She said.**

**Alec looked up at Magnus who had an expression on his face Alec could only think of as affectionate. Of all the looks Magnus had thrown him since he'd arrived hours ago, this one was so foreign to him he had to look twice. And still he didn't quite believe it. Trying to push things along, he asked "Ready Magnus."**

**Magnus ran his hand across the child's hair, soothing her as he said "absolutely." A snap of his fingers later they were all walking through a portal to be greeted by Catarina and Ragnor's shouts of relief as they saw Madzie with them.**

**Alec looked on warily as Raphael approached them. **

****Magnus****

"**Magnus everyone made it through." Raphael patted Madzie on the back as Catarina picked her up to wrap her arms around her.**

"**Excellent. Ragnor will you see to the children, Catarina if you'll see to the wards, I'll get started on covering our tracks." Magnus grabbed Raphael's arm and pulled him well away from the others, Alec following them closely.**

"**Did you hear anything unusual from the Shadowhunter's before you left?" Magnus asked.**

"**No nothing. Why do you ask?"**

"**Alec didn't recognize them, and Valentine centralized the Shadowhunter's to Alicante years ago. After he had enough Warlock captives to keep him in constant portals, they didn't need the institutes any longer. Not to mention he needed them centralized to spread his doctrine." Magnus ran his finger over his ear cuff, thinking.**

"**Who the hell sent them if not Valentine?" Raphael asked.**

"**No idea. Alec noticed they weren't well trained either. So they could have been cannon fodder trying to flush us out." Magnus waved his hand at the bow that Alec was trying to hand him. Clearly intending he keep it. "In any case I need to scrub the club." Magnus pulled his magic around himself and dismissed the others from his mind.**

**Opening himself up to his power, he couldn't help but notice a small golden light to his left. Clearly it was Alec, but Magnus didn't have time to ponder why exactly the Shadowhunter was registering a far different color than any Nephilim he'd ever seen before. He had a mess to clean up.**

**It was easy enough to incinerate the bodies, so he started there. Tearing the club down from the top to the bottom would draw attention from the mundanes. Covering their tracks meant literally cleaning each room of any trace of the shadow world, which was just as tedious and mind numbingly boring as it sounded. By room three he had sweat on his forehead, which didn't make sense. He had more than enough power to get through each of the buildings rooms twice. Why he was feeling the strain with just this little magic made no sense. He pushed forward though. The last thing any of them needed was someone finding them because of a misplaced item in the club.**

**Magnus felt himself tire and pushed on stubbornly. This was asinine. He had more power than this. What the hell could be going on? Watching his magic closely he noticed a stream of his power stretching towards the small golden glow he'd marked earlier. His power was drifting in a steady stream towards the Shadowhunter and Magnus wanted to swear. Surely that wouldn't make much of a difference in the long run. Alec siphoning his magic and Cleansing a building still wasn't enough of a draw to exhaust him so quickly. Magnus was so busy concentrating on Alec he didn't realize his store of magic was dipping dangerously low, and he stumbled.**

****Alec****

**Alec watched Magnus collapse and turned to the other Warlocks in the room, "ENOUGH!" He shouted at them. "He's using too much energy, it could kill him!."**

**Raphael of all people interrupted before the others could respond, and said in an almost soothing voice, "Ragnor is shielding the children while Catarina builds the wards. They're all exhausted. Magnus will stop before things go that far."**

**Alec looked at Magnus on his knees and could barely stand the thought of the warlock draining himself so completely. Alec dropped to his knees beside the warlock and grabbed his hand not caring at all about the people around him looking on. Pulling Magnus into his arms, cradling his body he said fiercely "take what you need."**

"**Alexander," came Magnus' weak raspy voice, "are you sure?"**

"**Of course I'm sure Magnus, you're protecting all of us." Alec pulled the arm around Magnus back just a bit so he could rest his hand on his neck, hoping the additional skin contact would allow more energy to pass through. Magnus' skin was like fire, overheated but still so very soft, and this close Alec could smell his shampoo and whatever cologne he used. Everything in Alec wanted to wrap every bit of himself around Magnus until there was no space between them. He'd never felt anything like this before. **

**The slight tug of Magnus' magic on him barely registered as he allowed the warlock to pull his energy. Softly massaging Magnus' neck he took advantage of the situation by observing the warlock with his eyes closed. Magnus looked so young like this, complete concentration on his face while his energy poured out of him protecting the people around him. In the few short hours he'd know the man, he'd taken every opportunity to place himself as a shield in front of Alec. It made Alec want to pick him up right now and walk away with him. Hide him somewhere safe and never let another person use him. The files in Alicante did not paint a flattering picture of Magnus, but Alec had long since learned to read between the lines of Shadowhunter propaganda. Magnus might be a hedonist, he might like to have fun and party, but he'd lay down his life for those he perceived as family. And Alec couldn't think of a more attractive quality in a man. Family was everything. **

**Magnus drew in a breath and gave one final burst of magic before collapsing completely into Alec's arms. "It's done, they can't track or trace us from the club." Magnus pushed himself out of Alec's arms and stood on shaky legs. "And with that done, I need to speak with Alec."**

"**Yes we all do." Raphael put his hand on Magnus' shoulder to steady him.**

"**Not just yet Raphael, alone first. I need to speak with him alone." Alec looked around at the others, confusion clear in his expression.**

"**Damnit Magnus What is going on?" Raphael tilted his head down to look into Magnus' eyes, but he turned his head away not wanting to look at his friend.**

"**It's about his Angel visit, but it's personal, so If you'll excuse us we'll reconvene shortly. Besides Cat and Ragnor will need some rest." Magnus approached the other warlocks and whispered quietly with them, and finally turned back to Alec when the others were gone.**

****Magnus****

"**Were you ever going to tell me, did you think I just wouldn't notice Alexander?" Magnus couldn't help how low his voice was, pain rocked through him at the thought of what Alec had done. Shadowhunter or not, this was beyond betrayal, it was...Magnus didn't have words.**

**Alec walked up to him with his hand out, clearly reaching for him, but Magnus jerked away. "I don't understand, Magnus what are you talking about?"**

"**Do not be purposefully obtuse!" Magnus snarled. "Your new rune. How could you Alexander?" Magnus turned his back to Alec and put some distance between them. "I can't believe you could do something like this without even asking."**

"**Magnus I swear I don't know what….I haven't even seen the rune. I don't know what it is." Alec said desperately, wanting to understand.**

**Magnus finally turned and looked at him, observing the pure confusion on the Shadowhunter's face. He sighed. Greater beings ladies and gentlemen. Blow shit up and ask questions later. Magnus snapped his fingers and a standing dressing mirror appeared. "Go ahead, pull your shirt up and have a look." Magnus waved his hand in the direction of the mirror. He didn't need to see, he knew what it was, he could feel it.**

"**I have literally never seen this before in my life. Magnus, what the hell?" Alec said from his position in front of the mirror.**

"**It is the animae vinculum rune, and you wouldn't have seen it. The rune wasn't given to the Shadowhunters." Magnus said softly.**

"**Soul bond rune? That doesn't…..is it real? I already have a parabatai Magnus, this isn't something, I've never heard of a soul bond rune. She didn't even say she was giving me the rune." Alec pulled his shirt down and ran his hands through his hair, agitated. Pacing in front of the mirror and looking at Magnus like some tragic gothic hero.**

**Magnus leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "She told you that she could extend your life, but that she couldn't actually remove the sacrifice rune, and you accepted the conditions." **

"**How do you even know that?" Alec pulled his sleeves down over his hands and stared at Magnus helplessly. He looked like some sort of scruffy mutt, and Magnus might be a cat person, but he was just as susceptible to forlorn puppy eyes as the next person. And Alec's puppy eyes were a goddamn weapon.**

**Magnus waved his hands and brought a couch into the room. This was going to take a little bit. "Here sit darling." He sat on one end and watched as Alec made himself comfortable on the other end. "The sacrifice rune is a blood curse, what I'm certain she didn't tell you is that it's a demon rune with a long history. And I'm relatively certain angelic power can't remove it any more than demon power can. I was hoping I was wrong about that. Clever angel that she is, she figured out that siphoning the life force of an immortal would extend your life and slow the process of the blood decay. Thus the soul bond rune. It's a heavenly rune that wasn't given to your people because they deemed the parabatai rune sufficient."**

"**So she bound me to an immortal to save my life. I still don't get what the big deal is? What exactly is a soul bond?" Alec slumped down on the couch crossing his arms across his chest.**

**Magnus paused and couldn't stop his voice from going slightly higher. "Me. She bound you to me. Kind of. I'm sure she knew anyway." Magnus completely ignored the functional question of what the soul bond did. Alec wouldn't really be able to process it now, and Magnus was damn sure he didn't want to get into it. Bad enough they had to get the damn book, Alec could wait for the revelation of what the Soul bond was capable of, and why the Angels kept it from them in the first place. **

**Alec sat up abruptly and faced Magnus. "What? I still don't understand I already have a Parabatai, how can I have this soul bond rune too?"**

**Magnus hedged like a son of a bitch. "The Greeks are famous for defining the different sorts of love that one may feel, and it's a good framework for the kinds of bonds that you can create with magic. Platonic, familial, passionate, and unconditional divine love. Parabatai bonds are meant to be platonic bonds of friendship, it's built into the ceremony of the rune. The soul bond rune is more flexible with regard to the type of bond you chose to build with it, the only thing it looks for is an open channel between the souls."**

**Magnus could tell the boy was maybe two seconds away from losing his shit. "Alec, calm down."**

"**Magnus, how can you say that! She basically forced you into this without…"**

"**Hush Alexander. I perhaps didn't explain myself well. Yes what she did was reprehensible. Putting the rune on you without consent or explanation, was definitely a dick move. More so when I thought you knew what it meant." Magnus held his finger up to Alec's lips to interrupt him from speaking. "However, I felt it the minute I put my hands on you." Magnus sighed and slumped back into the couch matching Alec's pose from earlier.**

"**Felt what Magnus. Why are you being so cryptic?" Frustration made Alec snap at Magnus and he ran his fingers through his hair.**

"**My magic likes you." Alec gaped at him. Magnus just made a huffy noise. How the angel even knew about it was beyond him. He hadn't immediately recognized his magic essentially welcoming Alexander to the fold. Magnus couldn't help the frown that marred his features, this was going to complicate the hell out of everything. It wasn't that Warlock's couldn't bond with Nephilim, it's that they didn't nurture those bonds. It was frowned upon. Heavily. Even more if it involved the binding rune. **

"**How do you even know about the stupid rune?" Alec clasped his hands together in front of him changing the direction of the conversation and Magnus was relieved. Not really wanting to explain exactly what the bond could become, how it worked or any of it really. Magnus was drawn out of his thoughts by Alec shifting on the couch. Magnus considered the question.**

"**I saw it once when I was around sixteen, in a book, the book Muriel asked you to find to be precise. The one we're going to have to go get out of Alicante, because I suspect it has a spell in it that's going to not only save your life but protect Shadowhunter's in general from the sacrifice rune so they can effectively leave Valentine's rule. And on that note we should really go find the others." Magnus stood up with determination watching Alec's face turn mutinous.**

"**She manipulated me into blackmailing you." Magnus was surprised to see the pure fury on Alec's face. It was surprisingly nice to watch him get so angry on Magnus' behalf, and Magnus had to stop himself from reaching out to stroke a finger across his cheek in thanks. **

"**Yes well, welcome to the world of Greater beings. They rarely take anything so crass as explanations into account before they do as they damn well please. Come on Shadowhunter, lets go figure out how we're going to get that book out of hell itself." Magnus turned towards the door and took a deep breath of fortification. He was going to need it, because he was walking a very thin line. A resistance leader bound to a rogue Nephilim was not going to inspire confidence in his people, and right now they needed him to be a solid foundation for them. Magnus opened the door and ushered Alec through the door. How had he only known this man for less than a day?**

Chapter 4 - Waking - Posted

**Alec**

Magnus walked calmly ahead of him, and Alec could barely contain his rage. First the downworld had to endure the slaughter of their kind by Nephilim, and now one of the Angels had essentially magically bound one of their leaders to one of his kind. Did the Angels simply have no shame? They couldn't control their people, they took without asking, and they were about as helpful as toddlers. Alec almost wished in that moment that he'd never woken up. That he'd lived in the limbo of his youth where the Circle was the authority and he questioned nothing. Then he realized that he would have lost Izzy, Jace and Clary and cut that line of reasoning off at the pass. Life with only his bitter parents as refuge was no kind of life he wanted to contemplate.

Magnus stumbled and Alec rushed towards him. "Magnus, what's wrong?"

The warlock smiled, "Be at ease Shadowhunter. I'm just tired, I've used far too much magic with an open soul bond in the past few hours. I just need some time to recharge."

"You're sure?" Magnus nodded, his smile soothing Alec's worry but not his exasperation. Magnus was keeping things from him. He could tell. But he could also tell they were both getting pretty close to the end of their ropes. Alec was tapping into the bond a little more. It was kind of like the parabatai bond, but also completely different. The parabatai bond didn't make him want to rip the head off of anyone who looked at Jace slightly ascance. Alec didn't want to share power with Magnus, he wanted to defend him against the world. So it was the same, but different. With Jace, Alec was a weapon, well they were extensions of the same weapon. With Magnus, he was a shield.

Stepping into the room behind Magnus he couldn't help but notice that the small group Magnus seemed to trust implicitly, looked like a panel of inquisitors ready to hand someone their ass. They were angry, frustrated, and out of patience. Since it was Alec's fault he shifted until he was standing in front of Magnus. There was absolutely no reason he needed to be a barrier between his friends and Alec. If they wanted to eviscerate something, he was going to let it be him. "Everything has happened so damn fast we haven't had the chance to explain everything. And I have a lot to tell you about Valentine and everything else, so if we could all sit and get comfortable this will be a lot easier to swallow."

Raphael of course couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Easier for you or us Shadowhunter?"

Alec arched his brow. "Everyone equally, Vampire." Up to now he'd managed to keep his sass under control, but he had a damn name.

Raphael appraised him for a moment, but just as Magnus was about to come out from behind him, the Vampire took a seat. Encouraging the others to do so as well. The room was set up like a conference room. A large table at its center, with a handful of chairs around it. Which made Alec realize he had no fucking clue where he even was. He'd been so concerned about Magnus and then so caught up in the drama the Angel caused that he hadn't taken a moment to even ask where the hell they wound up. "So where are we exactly?"

Ragnor raised his eyebrow and tilted his head drawing attention to his horns. "We're nowhere of consequence."

He evidently didn't remotely trust Alec, so he nodded. Honestly arguing about their location was the least of their worries. He ushered Magnus into a chair and frowned at the warlock as he waved his hands using his power to create drinks for everyone. "Magnus." Alec admonished, but Magnus placed his hand on his arm. None of this was missed by the others in the room.

"I'm fine Alexander. Please recount the Angel's arrival."

Alec nodded at him, still worried. Magical exhaustion wasn't something you just bounced back from, but Magnus seemed to be okay if only a little lethargic. Alec turned his attention to the others and relayed what the Angel had said skipping over the part about the soul bond. He wasn't comfortable speaking about it, and from the look on Mangus' face he was perfectly okay with keeping that under wraps for now.

Ragnor had hardly moved during Alec's explanation, and asked politely for Alec to repeat the Angels words as exactly as he was able twice. Catarina couldn't take her eyes off of Magnus, worry in every line of her face, and Raphael was pacing the room. For a Vampire he was fidgety.

"So you intend to find this book in Alicante, remove it from the premises, and then do what?" Ragnor asked in his scholarly way. Alec was beginning to get a handle on the group. Raphael was the skeptic, he questioned everything. Catarina was their healer, their calm soothing blanket in this storm. Ragnor was the scholar, the intellect, and more than likely the strategist or he shared the role with Raphael. Alec wasn't entirely sure about that yet he needed more time to observe. And finally, Magnus Bane was the glittering star they followed. He was the king. They might all share the title of leader, but every single one of them took their cues from Magnus. Interestingly, Magnus didn't seem to be aware of it. The attention he more than noticed, but they looked to him for both direction and defence, and he seemed completely unaware of it.

Alec put a hand on Magnus' shoulder, something the group in the room took notice of. Alec watched them all clock his hand and then look to Magnus for some explanation, but Magnus refused to acknowledge it. Alec knew he was prone to touching those he cared about, it was something his mother had identified as one of his vulnerabilities. Enemies could study and immediately discover exactly who he considered valuable in his life. Alec didn't know if it was the soul bond or if he was just instinctively drawn to Magnus, but he was finding it difficult to keep his hands to himself.

"Ragnor, the Angel Muriel speaks of the "stòr cumhachd"" Magnus said quietly waiting for Ragnor to absorb the words.

"That book is a myth." Utter confidence in his tone, Alec watched Magnus shake his head at his fellow warlock.

"Unfortunately old friend, I've seen it for myself. When I was still a child, before I'd even stopped aging. I've seen it and I watched the one who wrote it, hand it over to the Seelie Queen herself. It was a full ceremony to surrender the book. Its contents are without a doubt some of the most dangerous and unequivocally volatile information about magic in existence. The pages have enough knowledge in them to destroy the world."

"Magnus, this is undoubtedly important intel, but how did Valentine get the book and what is he doing with it are just as important as removing it from his possession." Ragnor intoned and Alec suspected the man had been a teacher at some point. He had such a deliberate way of speaking.

"We must consider exactly what the ramifications are of stealing it. We'll be targets in a way we haven't been before. This is going to put us not only at the top of Valentine's list, but others as well. Even amongst our own kind.." Raphael said seriously.

Magnus nodded at all of them. "I know. Believe me I know. As for how he got the book, I am quite certain the queen herself gave it to him."

Everyone in the room looked shocked, and Magnus sighed. "She can't read the book. In the centuries since it was given to her, she has never been able to parse the contents. If she had, the world would be a very different place right now. How he convinced her is the mystery."

Ragnor didn't even question how Magnus knew it, he accepted Magnus' words as fact. Alec watched the team interact and was hit by another revelation. They weren't just political allies. These people were family. Angel only knew how long they'd all known each other, but their interactions were every bit that of a family. Alec felt a pang as he thought of his own family. Praying to the Angels might be ironic, but Alec couldn't stop himself from asking them to keep Jace, Izzy, and Clary safe. What a mess. Ragnor didn't stand from the table, but he did settle back into his chair more comfortably. "And what good will the book do in our hands, if it can't be read?"

Magnus put his his hands over his face and looked solemnly at the others through his fingers. "I can read it." His words were muffled, but everyone understood.

There was no shock this time, only pure resignation. "Of course you can." Raphael leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, all but glowering at Magnus. "And so the pieces fall."

"Pray tell, how did this come about?" Ragnor asked suspiciously.

"I'm beginning to think that fate, though we have for centuries deemed it foolish, is knocking on my door and expecting its due." They all waited patiently for Magnus to continue, but he seemed to be lost in some sort of curious limbo. Alec didn't know if it was the exhaustion, or something more sinister. "The Seelie who wrote the book was old, older than anyone I'd ever met in my very short existence at that point. She was the first or so they said. I was only in the Seelie realm because Asmodeus was pulling strings." Magnus waved his hand dismissively, it was well documented that Asmodeus was Magnus' father, but Alec still stiffened at the name. Greater demons were nothing to dismiss. Magnus did it easily. "It was actually my first visit to the realm. I was an envoy of Edom, it was all very ceremonial. Anyway I was a kid, and I went exploring as you do in new environments." Magnus was very clearly lost in his memories, and Alec watched his family listen raptly.

"Why have you never told us this before Magnus?" Catarina interjected softly.

Magnus shrugged, "I wasn't Magnus then." Alec stared hard. It wasn't uncommon for Warlocks to have a variety of names. When a person lives for centuries it's almost expected, but from the looks on his families faces there was a clear line of demarcation that meant something significant for Magnus. His life before this name was something he didn't share lightly. "Anyway I was a curious little thing even then, and I wandered into her room. I could feel the weight of her age. Sometimes when you are in the presence of someone who has been alive for a milenia, their very being weighs on your mind. She was like that." He said, his words directed toward Alec. "She didn't say anything aloud, she had the book open in her lap and she turned it towards me. It's not written in a language that uses words. She wrote the book in magic, in emotion, in color, in feeling. When you look at the pages you have to feel what she meant. The minute I saw the page my mind opened to the magic and I saw, well I felt, what magic was. She gave me the ability to read the book, and then sent me on my way. I don't think anyone else knows." Magnus stood from the table and Alec was honestly surprised he'd managed to stay seated this long. His body had been thrumming with restlessness for awhile.

"Magnus, the legends say that book is the source of magic. That anyone who controls it, controls every magical being in the world." Ragnor put his hands on the table and brought Magnus' attention to himself, fear wasn't something that sat well on Ragnor's face thought Alec.

"I've always told you Ragnor, I've always told you that magic isn't the gift of demon or angel. It's part of this world, and anyone can use it for what it is at its core. The book isn't the source, but if someone were to read it, the book might lead them to the source. I suspect Valentine has managed to read pieces, from the amount of experimentation we've seen over these last two years, he's looking for something. Perhaps Alec can shed some light on that." Magnus said with a heavy sigh of exhaustion. Alec wasn't far behind him. The others around the table all appeared lost in thought. If the book was as powerful as Magnus said, then they needed to get it the hell away from Valentine.

"Why did you tell me I couldn't carry it out of Alicante?" Alec suddenly remembered Magnus' statement from earlier in the club.

Magnus brightened a little at that. "Touching the book will kill you. In fact that was part of the ceremony. The first Seelie gave the book to the Queen for safekeeping, but she didn't actually bequeath the thing to her. It was all very dramatic." Magnus was looking at the others, but Alec could tell he was lost in the memory of the ceremony. "There had to be a prophecy, it's just how things were done then. Anyway she said and I quote "Should any flesh but that of the Scion touch the pages of my soul may their bodies be ash, for only to the first, do I deliver this whole. Power will seek destruction, and only illusion can break the path to the ferryman. The devil's bleeding crown will unravel, and from the monsters will come a reckoning that devours the destroyer." I mean as far as prophecy mumbo jumbo is concerned, it's a pretty good one. Looking back on it, she was perhaps one of the few people in the world the Fairy Queen feared because she spoke those words and I watched the girl turn ash grey." Alec laid his head down on the table. He was done. This was a lot.

"We need to talk about how we're going to get wonderboy over here back into Alicante and get the book out, without getting caught." Raphael grumped, and Alec couldn't help but realize that the damn vampire was growing on him. He wouldn't admit for the world if anyone asked, but his keen observations and unwillingness to put up with anyone's shit made him desperately want to put him in a room with Jace and Clary. Magnus would be in charge of the popcorn.

"I vote we reconvene tomorrow. I'm exhausted. We all need rest." Catarina said and Alec couldn't agree more.

"I agree. Alexander if you'll follow me." Magnus was already at the door before Alec had even stood up.

Alec followed Magnus to a room, and took one look at the bed and promptly face planted on it. He heard Magnus chuckle as he backed out of the room, but he was asleep moments later.

**Magnus**

Waking up to Alexander Lightwood's face was without a doubt one of the most pleasant experiences of his life. Magnus smiled and watched Alec grin back at him. "Breakfast." He said quietly. Magnus looked around and realized Alec had actually brought him breakfast. A tray and everything.

"Would you like to join me?" Magnus asked as he raised himself up and stretched. Aware of Alec's eyes on every line of his body. He kept himself under control and Magnus could respect that, but he was Magnus Bane, and pushing people's boundaries was practically in his job description. Also watching Alec admire his very naked chest was the best kind of distraction for what waited for them outside this room.

"Magnus. I'm not tired." Alec said with an exasperated shake of his head. He put his hands on his hips and Magnus couldn't help but appreciate just how the rigid pose accentuated Alec's arms in the sweater someone had dug up for him. Not what he would have personally dressed the shadowhunter in, but it would do. Catarina probably dressed him. He'd have to admonish her later, she missed an incredible opportunity.

It took Magnus a second to absorb what Alec had said, then he gave Alec an exaggerated wink. "I meant for breakfast darling, though I absolutely would not object to you crawling under here with me. And if you think for half a second you'd be sleeping when I invite you into my bed, I am clearly doing something wrong."

Teasing Alec was like breathing, Mangus needed to do it to live. So he let his blankets drop far enough that Alec was clued into the fact that Magnus slept entirely nude. Magnus kept everything scandalous covered, but his bare hip was clearly visible. Alec looked confused for a minute, then Magnus watched it dawn on him that he was staring at a very naked Magnus. Alec's face went hellfire red as he stumbled further back from the bed.

"I'll let you get um….well I'll go so you can um."

Magnus outright laughed. "Alexander, you are a gem." Magnus pushed the blankets back and pulled himself off of the bed with the sheet wrapped around his waist.

"It's not that it...it's just that you're…"

"Darling, calm down. Everyone's modesty is intact, I'll just slip into the bathroom and make myself presentable." Magnus shut the door of the bathroom and winced at his regrettable morning hair. Shouting through the door as he mentally worked through his wardrobe, Magnus smiled. " Where did they summon the food from?"

"I have no idea, are you almost ready?" Alec was grumbling, but Magnus had no trouble hearing him.

"You cannot rush perfection!" Magnus shouted through the door.

"I can when I'm currently draining your life out of you, and there's a war going on. I mean in case you forgot." Alec said in his sass master voice. Magnus chuckled in the bathroom. He'd barely been in the room five minutes before Alec was making noises at him.

Magnus stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a purple vest, pearl grey shirt, and black pants. Hair streaked to match and black glitter surrounding his eyes. Eyes that found Alec sitting with his head on the breakfast table.

"Alexander, are you okay?"

"No Magnus I am not okay. I feel like we're moving too slow. We need to get back to Alicante now. The pocket realms are in danger, Izzy is god knows where, Jace is alone with the vipers, and all we've done is talk and talk and talk and I'm just." Alec's words were muffled as he refused to raise his head, but Magnus understood him regardless.

"Antsy and impatient. Yes. I can tell. Well the good news is getting into Alicante shouldn't be all that difficult. It's the getting out part I haven't quite got my head around. We'll eat and then I'll speak with Ragnor. I can't do anything about your family, I'm sorry, but we can push a little harder to get going. Come Nephilim, the day is wasting." Magnus ran his hand over the back of Alec's head and smiled at him gently as he motioned toward the food. Magnus did his best to push the bond to the back of his mind, but in the end he supposed it didn't really matter. With or without the bond, he would want to take care of the man eating at his table. Fate really was knocking on his door.

He hadn't told the others everything about his first visit to the Seelie, and he was hoping it wasn't going to bite him in the ass. The book would lead them to the source, but Magnus already knew what it was. His presence at the ceremony for the book hadn't exactly been as innocent as he made it out to be. In fact there was a very specific reason why the Queen of the Seelie had complicated feelings for Magnus.

Who he was before he'd taken the name Magnus Bane was shrouded in the most opaque veil he could manage, it had more to do with his lineage than it did with his life. Asmodeus was a fallen angel, and with that there were many many things that the modern world didn't comprehend. And if Magnus had his way, it would stay that way. Much like the Angels, Magnus believed it was in everyone's best interest if the world was ignorant of a few events in their history. The origin of the Seelie was best kept quiet.

**Alec**

Alec sat on the floor with his back to the wall and watched Magnus throw his hands up in frustration for probably the fiftieth time. In the three hours they'd been in the basement, he and Ragnor had stepped away from the spell they were creating no less than twenty times. Ragnor didn't raise his voice, but both warlocks were insufferably arrogant and both of them knew exactly which buttons to push to piss each other off. Catarina sat beside him on the floor and she would occasionally get up and mediate, but for the most part she remained beside him on the floor.

Alec wasn't sure how much longer they were going to be, but he knew he'd be back in Alicante soon and that came with a whole host of problems he was going to have to deal with. Eventually people would notice that Jace's parabatai was gone, and they would notice that his bond was just fine. That problem needed a solution, in a big way, and so far he had nothing. Jace would either have to fake a broken bond, or he was going to have to leave. He wouldn't leave without Clary, and she had the sacrifice rune on her hand. Valentine's ultimate fuck you to Jocelyn. Well aside from experimenting on their child.

Jocelyn stayed in Alicante because of Clary, but everyone knew if Valentine wound up dead in the boundaries of the city, his wife was going to be suspect number 1. Valentine had done experiments on their children, so Clary had more angel blood in her than a standard Nephilim. Jace did as well. Valentine had experimented on Jace's mother when she was pregnant. She had died in childbirth. Jace's father had died in the war, and Valentine had taken him in when Jace was 15. He didn't call Valentine father, and he certainly didn't see Clary as his sister. Alec speculated that Valentine wanted Clary and Jace together to see what kind of child they would produce, but he never said it aloud. Jace, Clary, and Alec had all been at the Academy together and Alec would always be grateful that they'd become friends young enough that their bonds had weathered the shit storm that was their parents.

He was also worried about the location of the book. Magnus said he would know, the energy signature or whatever of the book was fairly distinct, but that didn't mean finding it was going to be easy. Not to mention hiding Magnus in Alicante was going to give Alec and anxiety attack. His mannerisms were enough to make him stand out, it didn't matter what glamour he wore. Not to mention the more personal issue of Magnus' presence.

Jace would know immediately upon seeing them together. He always knew. Not that Alec had all that many crushes for Jace to tease him about, but he always knew. After the parabatai bond, it had become significantly worse because soon after that Jace and Clary made their relationship official, and Clary's teasing was just as bad if not worse than Jace's. They weren't malicious about it, because Angel knew he couldn't act on his crushes or he'd have been sacrificed on purpose, but he could still do without their annoying poking. Alec was well aware that he could never have what he really wanted, but if he'd ever attempted anything, Jace would have covered for him. Jace would have protected him.

Lost in thoughts about Jace and Alicante, he completely missed Ragnor and Magnus giggling like idiots after they figured out what they were missing. Magnus shocked him out of his thoughts by dropping to his knees beside Alec. "Alexander darling, get your gear, we're ready to leave."

Alec snapped to attention and almost laughed at Magnus. His hair had green bits dangling from it, his eyeshadow was smudged, and there were burn marks on his shirt. He looked like he'd just barely escaped some demolition of a building somewhere. Alec could feel just how elated the warlock was at having finally worked out the spell, and that coupled with his expression had Alec captivated at the site of him. Magnus seemed to realize what a state he was in because he started to wave his hands to clean himself up, but Alec grabbed his hand enjoying the sight far too much. Magnus disheveled was utterly charming.

Alec covered a laugh with a cough and brushed some spell ingredients from Magnus' cheek. Alec was intrigued when Magnus' skin flushed. He didn't turn red, so much as the skin under his fingers warmed, but it was still interesting. He'd never made anyone flush before. Magnus reached up and put his hand on Alec's wrist, staring at him intently leaning slightly forward almost as if he were going to kiss Alec. Catarina cleared her throat pointedly, and it broke them apart. Alec was blushing this time as he stood up and looked down at Magnus. "I'll grab my stuff and meet you back here in five." No way had Magnus been about to kiss him. That was just wishful thinking. Right?

Alec could hear Magnus furiously whispering at Catarina as he left the room even if he couldn't make out the words. Shaking off the latent embarrassment, he made his way to his room. Grabbing the gear Magnus had given him took less than five minutes. Raphael met him in the hall outside of his room with a look on his face that indicated Alec wasn't going to like this conversation.

"I was clearly out voted on Magnus going with you to Alicante, but I'm telling you now Shadowhunter if anything happens to him….I don't care who your sister is. I will rip your body apart and feed your limbs to the demons." Raphael's voice never changed inflection. It neither rose nor fell, but Alec felt every word in the pit of his stomach. He met the vampire's intensity with his own.

"Understood." He didn't prevaricate, he didn't make excuses or promises, he simply accepted Raphael's fierce protectiveness. Raphael stared at him for a moment, nodded his head, and then walked away.

Alec started to turn away to head back towards Magnus, but he looked over his shoulder at the retreating vampire. "My sister." He said loudly.

Raphael stopped. "We will continue to see she comes to no harm. As much as she'll allow it in any case."

Alec nodded they had an understanding. "See that you do."

Magnus was waiting for him a little impatiently as he walked back into the cellar. A portal was open and Alec looked at it confused. "Magnus we can't portal into Alicante."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Darling, have you not been paying attention. I told you the getting in part was easy. Portaling into Alicante..."

Alec cut him off, "Is impossible. The wards won't allow it, not to mention the demon blood sensors that will go off the minute you step inside."

Magnus laughed. "Alec, the wards only go so far down. And the warlocks that built the wards did an excellent job, but it doesn't mean I couldn't tear them all down with a thought. Getting around them isn't difficult, I've been doing it for years. The demon blood sensors only work on the perimeter of Alicante. Once you're inside it doesn't matter, so as long as I don't cross the barrier, we'll be fine, and because I have a convenient portal location already in place, this will be quite painless." Magnus was smug. There was no other word for the abject superiority on his face right now.

"You've been in Alicante before, since Valentine took over?" Alec asked incredulously.

"Many times." Magnus sighed. "I guess now is as good as time as any to tell you that I know Clary. Jocelyn didn't trust Valentine to keep her safe, not after the experiments. I've been checking up on her for years. Now come, time is of the essence." With that shocking revelation Magnus turned his back, snapped his fingers so the portal would stabalize, grabbed Alec's hand and pulled him through the portal.

As soon as the whiplash passed Alec took a deep breath. Alicante. Alec was home. He almost had a heart attack when something collided with him.

"Goddamnit Alec, could you be anymore of an asshole. I was worried sick!" Jace all but shouted in his ear as he embraced him, his arms tight and his fingers digging into Alec's shoulders.

Chapter 5 - Infiltrate - Posted

Alec pulled away first, but Jace wasted no time pushing him back against the nearest wall. "Valentine has this place crawling with Shadowhunters looking for your head. He knows you were going to try and come back eventually, so we have got to get you the hell out of here." Jace's fist was clamped into Alec's shirt, and he could feel his parabatai's urgency both in the bond and through the tension in his body.

Jace had a particular brand of focus, and when he had a mission in front of him it was almost impossible to sway him. "No Jace. I came back for a reason." Alec tried to jerk himself out of Jace's grip, but he wasn't budging. "In fact how did you even know I was going to be here?" Alec was confused, there was no way that Jace should have met them at the portal. Magnus had picked a store room where cleaning supplies were kept.

"Not important, and I don't really care you idiot, we're leaving now." Jace jerked Alec toward the door. Alec lost his balance and tripped, but Jace didn't even pause, just kept jerking him along, but when he tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge.

"I realize that you are his parabatai and with that comes certain privileges, but if you don't get your hands off of him right now, I will sever the tendons in your body one by one, and then rip your miserable heart out of your chest" Magnus' voice had dropped into a register that Alec couldn't even define. He was beyond pissed. Jace had a way of just pushing and pulling people where he wanted them to be. It's not that he was hurting Alec, it was that he was not allowing him the choice and Alec could feel just how much that set Magnus off.

Alec stopped trying to jerk out of Jace's grip and swung around. One more move from Jace and Magnus could very well back that threat up. "Magnus calm down. Look at me." Twisting his hand under Jace's fist, he finally got Jace to release him. Quickly walking towards Magnus with his palms out toward the man, he got Magnus to snap out of the daze he was in, "Magnus, easy."

Magnus visibly shook himself under Alec's watchful gaze. His magic simmered down and he took a deep breath. "My apologies." Alec reached for Magnus' hand and squeezed it in acknowledgement. Jace had set their bond off, they'd both felt it, and they were both reeling from the feelings passing between them. Alec was visibly resisting the urge to put his hands on Magnus to soothe the tension out of him, but it didn't matter Jace was still freaking out.

"What the hell is going on Alec? Since when do you have a warlock for a guard dog!" Jace had crossed his arms over his chest and pushed his blonde hair back from his face. Glowering at the both of them, he stood before the door like a sentry waiting for them to try and break free. Alec could appreciate that Jace's fierceness had always looked good on him. But now wasn't really the time.

"Not until you answer some questions." Alec said as calmly as he could manage trying his best to diffuse this situation. Magnus was calm though he had bristled a bit at being referred to as a guard dog, now he just needed to get Jace to simmer down.

"Me! Are you kidding me right now. I don't know why the hell you came through a portal with Magnus flipping Bane, but what's important right now is getting you the hell out of Alicante." Jace said stubbornly still braced and unmovable before the door.

Magnus and Alec were standing shoulder to shoulder staring at his parabatai. Magnus sighed a long exasperated sigh. "I am perfectly capable of portaling Alec out of Alicante. Answer his questions." Magnus commanded.

Jace bowed up and raised his brows at Alec. Stepping between Magnus and Jace, Alec pushed his parabatai back. "Jace what's the rush, and again how did you know we'd be here?"

The door rattled and Clary came striding through, the door barely missing Jace as it swung inward. "Are they here?"

"Why yes we are, it seems we really were expected." Magnus said with a dramatic flare and a bow in Clary's direction. The glitter on his cheeks catching the light, and Alec watched Jace glower in his was glittery, and Jace wasn't so much anti-glitter, but deeply distrustful of shiny things. He also just generally didn't trust strangers around his family, and for better or worse Alec knew that Jace considered them brothers.

"By the Angel, fine. Clary saw something in her dreams." Jace said diplomatically, or as diplomatically as he was capable.

Clary scoffed and rolled her eyes all but stomping her foot in response, "I told you Jace it was an Angel. I had a dream of an Angel telling me to come with Jace and meet you here and that you were fine. But that's beside the point, we really need to get you out of here. Now!" She'd turned to Alec and was pleading with him to both believe her and understand.

Alec and Magnus looked at one another in surprise but Alec shrugged his shoulder. "We can work all this out later. Magnus and I need to get a book out of your father's office. We can't leave until we have it."

Clary groaned. "Damnit Alec." Her red hair fell into her face as she hung her head. Jace made a move towards her, but she shook it off and looked up. "Fine but we do this quiet, and we do this fast."

Jace looked incredulous. "Clary you said."

"I know what I said, but there's no way in Angels name Magnus Bane would come here if it wasn't important for the resistance, and Alec is alive Jace. It all means something. So we do this." Clary said with finality, and like always Jace caved. He sighed heavily and motioned for them to follow him.

"Magnus." Alec waved his hand in Magnus' direction, and without words Magnus twisted his hands to call his magic. A small blue cloud floated around him and his appearance was hazed. He tilted his head to the side and Alec nodded in approval. They both turned back to Jace and Clary, who had expressions of deep confusion on their faces. "He needed to disguise himself." Alec was entirely confused by their confusion.

"Yeah no we got that, how he got that from you saying his name and waving your hand is what's confusing me brother." Jace said.

Alec just shrugged, absolutely in no way ready to discuss what happened while he was gone. "Shouldn't we be going?"

Jace just nodded his head exaggeratedly and said "riiiiigggght" drawing the syllables out. Despite Jace's words and actions, his parabatai wasn't an idiot. Alec knew they were being obvious, but the connection he felt to Magnus was impossible to ignore. Clary went through the door first with all the men following. They stepped lightly and made their way to Valentine's office. The halls were empty and Alec was suspicious as hell.

"There's no one here now, everyone is working around the clock on some prisoner they have in the bottom wing. I actually haven't seen Valentine for almost as long as you've been gone." Jace said quietly to Alec sensing his unease, as the group slipped into Valentine's office. Magnus stopped short, and Alec turned to him in question.

"Clary, your vision from the angel...did they tell you their name?" Magnus asked curiously staring at Alec. Alec himself wondered if Muriel was playing more than once chess piece on the board.

"No, I didn't get a name." Running her hand through her hair, Alec was surprised by her clear frustration.

Magnus frowned at the girl but his face took on a pinched expression almost out of nowhere. "Magnus what's wrong?" Alec put his hand on Magnus' shoulder, and the warlock just shrugged.

"I've just got a bad feeling is all." And Alec wanted to pull him back out in the hall and ask him what the hell, because he could feel the lie. It tasted like lemons on his tongue. Magnus shook his head in a clear indication that now wasn't the time. Alec nodded reluctantly and decided not to mention the lemon taste of Magnus' lies.

"Okay enough, what the hell is going on with you two?" Jace demanded clearly seeing and sensing something between Alec and Magnus.

"We really need to go." Clary whisper shouted at Jace.

Valentine's office was your standard run of the mill room with a book wooden desk and bookshelves on the back wall. A couch sat along one wall, and chairs flanked the desk. Magnus ran his hands over the chairs and then over the desk. Alec watched him closely while ignoring Clary and Jace's argument. If they weren't worried about Valentine waltzing in, Alec was going to trust them. Magnus stopped behind the desk and was clearly drawing in all of his focus, when he dropped his hands by his sides and snapped his fingers, the bookshelves parted to reveal a doorway.

"How the hell did you know that was there?" Asked Jace suspiciously.

Alec wanted to slap his parabatai up side his stupid head, but he was more worried about Magnus at the moment. The warlock's eyes had glazed over and Alec was getting some intense emotional feedback through their bond. "I'm fine Alexander. I can just feel the book, it's a bit frustrated at both its location and handling these past few years."

"You're talking to a book." Jace stated incredulously. Clary grabbed his arm before he could say anything horribly offensive and shushed him.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth Horatio." Magnus muttered as he walked through the doorway, and Alec wanted to laugh. Jace wouldn't actually get the Shakespeare reference, and the only reason Alec got it was because the library here at Alicante had some of the mundane classics. Alec had read them against his teachers wishes because he found the cadence of the speech a welcome break from the seriousness of his usual Latin and Greek historical texts. Jace had only used the library for its functional purpose. Alec rolled his eyes at Jace's irritation, and shoved his parabatai for being a jackass.

"Did you know this was here?" Jace asked Clary from behind him.

"No, but oddly enough I think I've been here before." She said solemnly.

The hallway was relatively short with a small staircase leading down into a lab like room. Metal tables, carts with equipment, and metal shelves lined the walls. Spotlights illuminated a book on a glass podium at the back of the room. Alec watched Magnus take it all in, and he could feel the magic start to rise up in the warlock.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously, walking around the room to get a good look at any useful papers that might be lying around.

"There are wards around this room. I'm dismantling them, and trying to do it without setting off any alarms, so do let me concentrate Alec." Magnus said shortly and Alec sighed. Magnus was keeping something from him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, and it was making Magnus short tempered.

Alec turned to the other two. "You should probably get out of here now. Magnus and I will take the book and portal out."

"I'm coming with you." Jace said firmly.

"No." Alec said without any hesitation.

"Yes." Jace glowered.

Clary stepped between the two Shadowhunters. "We're both going with you."

"Absolutely not, sacrifice rune not withstanding..." Alec started, but Jace interrupted.

"Hey is sparkles over there supposed to be glowing green." Alec whirled around and rushed to Magnus' side.

Magnus face was scrunched up in pain, but his magic was flowing steadily out of his fingertips. "Magnus" Alec said with a warning. He didn't feel anything through the bond so that meant Magnus was either blocking him, or something was wrong with the bond, or the magic was blocking him. Either way Alec reached out to put his hand on Magnus, but the warlock jerked back.

"Alec, in about 30 seconds there's going to be a small explosion. I'm going to grab the book, and we're all going to portal out of here. Anyone that's going had better damn well be ready." Magnus said through gritted teeth. Alec nodded in acknowledgement, and as soon as Magnus' magic exploded, he watched the warlock throw a cloth he conjured over the book and push it into a bag he also conjured. Turning around swiftly he opened a portal and all four of them fell through it. Only they didn't go anywhere. They all stumbled and the Portal fizzled out.

"We're not back with the others." Alec said confused.

"The portal was blocked, we're still in the lab." Clary pushed herself up off the ground where she'd fallen when they tripped through the portal. Magnus was currently lying on the ground completely passed out. She put her hand out as if to reach for the bag with the book in it when Alec jerked her away.

"What the hell Alec?" Jace said harshly instantly furious over Alec's manhandling of Clary.

"We can't touch the book, none of us, it will kill you. I don't know if the barrier of that bag is any safer. Magnus is the only one who can handle it." Alec said in a rush. He crouched down beside Magnus, even though he could see the warlock breathing, he still wanted the comfort of feeling his pulse. He put one of his hands on Magnus' neck and with the other he grabbed his wrist. A strong steady pulse beat and Alec counted them out. What the hell had knocked them out of the portal? Clary and Jace were both looking around while tried to see if he could get Magnus to wake up.

"Yeah about that, don't you think it's a little convenient that he's the only one that can touch an ancient book of magic. I mean I'm the first one to say that Valentine's crazy, but maybe there's a reason we have the book and the downworld doesn't." Jace said as he looked around the room.

"The book doesn't belong here." Clary said with absolute assurance, "And neither do we now. We have to get him out of here." She walked over to the hall and peered down it as if she expected someone to come through it at any moment.

"Yeah well carrying someone around is going to be suspicious as hell, how do you propose we get out of here?" Jace was wearing his petulant face and Alec's patience was wearing really fucking thin. Magnus should not have passed out, there's no reason why he shouldn't be awake. He was dismantling wards, and it's almost like one of them backfired and shut him down. Alec stood up and turned to his brother.

"The resistance will fail without Magnus, we get him out of here no matter the cost. As for how, we need a portal, so we find one." Alec drew on every ounce of command he'd ever learned from his mother, and watched Clary and Jace both stand to attention.

Jace cocked his head to the side, observing Alec and letting his approval wash over him. "Fine. But we're talking about this later. All of this." Maryse hadn't raised Jace, but they were brothers and Alec was beyond grateful that Jace had his back.

Alec acknowledged the words, and waved them to the door. "Lead the way." He pulled his stele and activated his strength and silence runes. Pulling the strings of the bag until it was resting on Magnus' stomach, he put his arms under his bonded and lifted him. Following as close behind Jace and Clary as possible, they headed out of Valentine's office and into the hall.

Before his foot had even crossed the threshold of the door, Jace had a man by the throat and up against the wall. Clary had pulled her knives, and was currently standing back to back with Jace looking frantically up and down the hall.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" Jace said furiously.

"Please, you have to get him and the book out of here. I can help get you across the boundary but you have to be quick. Valentine is only going to be distracted for so long." The stranger was pleading, and Alec couldn't help but feel like he couldn't trust the man, but he was speaking the truth.

"Answer the question." Jace tightened his grip.

"It's not important. I was the seelie Valentine was using to read the book, but I got away."

"How?" Clary asked from behind Jace.

"Valentine is distracted, and I've been looking for a chance. Please, I was coming to get the book. We need to leave." The seelie man was desperate. That was more than easy to see.

"You trust Magnus to have it." Alec said quietly.

"More than I do our traitorous bitch of a queen at this point." The man said viciously.

"Fair enough. Lead the way." The seelie nodded, and they headed off down the hall.

**Magnus**

Magnus came too with a groan. He had a bitch of a headache and no idea where the hell he was. He could smell dirt and grass, so his best guess was outside. Voices were raised and shouting near him, but he wasn't clear enough yet to make out what they were saying.

"Magnus I really need you to wake up, I can't do this without you." A soft quiet voice said, and Magnus snapped to attention. He was laying on the ground in a forest, Alec was crouched beside him with both his hands wrapped around Magnus'. Gorgeous was all Magnus could think. How was this gorgeous man so much a part of him. Alec was worried and he could feel it all the way to his toes. A heavy weight in the connection between them. Shaking a hand lose, he brought it up to brush against Alec's cheek.

"Be at ease Alexander, I am well." Magnus drew in a deep breath, and lifted himself to his elbows. "What happened?"

Alec scrambled back and Magnus was sad to see him go. "We got out of the city, but we're still in Idris. Something happened and your portal didn't finish."

Magnus groaned. "I was mildly afraid of that. I didn't realize the backlash would knock me out. Valentine had enough wards against both warlock and seelie magic in that room, it's a wonder I was able to take down the wards at all and not set us all on fire."

"It's about damned time. Can you get us out of here now?" Anger was the only thing Magnus could feel, and it took him a minute to realize it wasn't from Jace, it was Alec. Jace's words had ignited a blaze of anger in the other Shadowhunter and he was moments away from putting his fist into Jace's face.

"Alexander will you help me up?" Distracting Alec was about the only way of getting him to calm down, and as Magnus stood he turned his full attention to Jace.

The soul bond did not like Jace. It wasn't even fully completed and it hated everything about Jace. Alec was shrugging it off, he could tell, but Magnus could feel the burn of an undercurrent between his magic and Alec's rune. He didn't think Alec realized it was to blame for his anger at his parabatai.

"Ego taking a hit oh golden shiny one, can't save everyone." Magnus said flippantly in Jace's direction. Hoping to distract them all from the magic floating between them.

"At least I don't pass out when important shit is going down." Jace said with a sneer.

"No you just let your parabatai walk into danger with no backup because." Magnus felt Alec's hand on his arm as he jerked him back.

"Magnus stop it." Magnus turned his glare on Alec but subsided when he saw how tense the Shadowhunter was. "We need to work together to get us all out of here and the book too. If you two, I mean it Jace, don't cut it out we're going to get caught." Alec said as he shoved Jace back from where he'd stepped closer to Magnus.

"I can't believe I'm saying it, but I agree with the Shadowhunter." And Magnus finally took note of the Seelie man standing beside Clary.

"Samuel as helpful as you've been getting us out of Alicante, I don't think you can go any further with us." Clary ran a hand across his back in a comforting way.

Magnus watched the fae man incline his head in Clary's direction. "You were the one reading the book for Valentine." Magnus said bluntly.

Samuel winced, but nodded. "What little I could glean. The book isn't written, it is felt. I unfortunately cannot feel it in any capacity to actually be of much assistance. The queen has been trying to decipher it for centuries, and of all her subjects, only I have ever been able to provide some information on what it contains."

Magnus hummed. He didn't want this seelie coming with them. Something about him was off. He didn't trust the man, and he could feel the same from Alexander. "And you just gave that information to Valentine willingly?" Magnus asked conversationally.

Samuel frowned, "no, the queen bound me to his service. He imprisoned me in Alicante. If it were not for his capture of the New York Alpha a few days ago, I would not have had the opportunity to escape."

Magnus made a humming sound, but Alec beat him to the next words. "And now that you're free we can all go our separate ways. We thank you for your help, but Magnus can take it from here." Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if Alec felt his mistrust of the Seelie or if he was working from his own feelings, but he was entirely grateful that Alec had pushed to sever their acquaintance.

"As you wish." The man said as he bowed, and disappeared into the forest.

something tells me that was too easy. Now Clary, you have to go back." Alec said after they were sure the Seelie was gone.

"No, she's coming with us."

"Damnit Jace she has a sacrifice rune. She'll die."

"You didn't, I mean you're here, didn't Magnus fix it for you?" Jace asked desperately.

"No. He didn't Jace, a lot of crap happened we need to talk about, but the sacrifice rune didn't go away." Alec said with a sigh and Magnus wanted to comfort him so badly he twitched in that direction before he got himself under control.

"Then how the hell are you alive?" the blonde asked in confusion.

"Like I said, we've got a lot to talk about." Alec started, but Jace stepped forward and put his hand on Alec's shoulder, near his neck. A grounding touch that Magnus wanted to snarl at. Jesus christ his magic was snapping under his skin and everything in him wanted to tear Jace to pieces.

"Alec are you okay?" Jace said softly, and Magnus could see Clary behind Jace, cover her mouth, a small gasp escaping her.

"Yeah for a little while, I'm good." Alec said just as softly and put his own hand on Jace's neck. The two parabatai stood there in the forest staring at one another. Once again dealing with the gravity of their choices.

"You're going to die. Still." Devastated Jace jerked Alec's face into his neck, wrapping his arms around him.

Magnus had just about enough. "Hardly blondie, that's what magic is for." He said with a sarcastic sneer, "I know I mentioned I was a warlock no. Incidentally, I have magic. Lots of magic. Enough magic that I can both get us home and keep everyone safe in the process..." Magnus could feel his anger snapping between himself and Alec, the two men hugging driving his power into a frenzy.

Alec stepped in front of Magnus. "Okay that's enough both of you. Magnus," Alec said with a snarl and grabbed the warlock's arm. He dragged him to the edge of the trees well out of hearing distance of the others. "What the hell is going on with you?" He whispered.

Magnus just stared at him helplessly. Should he say that any interaction between Jace and Alec made him want to strip the man down and mark every inch of his body so he was claimed both physically and visibly. It was as if Alec's refusal to acknowledge the bond with Magnus to his parabatai, was making Magnus want to eviscerate the other man. How was he going to tell Alec that though? He had every right to keep the bond a secret. Magnus didn't own him.

Alec stared hard at Magnus. "Magnus I'm serious, talk to me."

Magnus leaned back against a tree and put his hands behind his back. "I'm just not accustomed to a magic bond reacting so harshly to another person. If you give me some time I'll figure it out and get it under control."

OAre you sure, because you don't seem sure." Alec said softly. There was something to be said for having such a powerful man admit to struggling with his magic. Alec could respect that even if he wanted more of an answer.

Alec pushed back from Magnus, and went to join his parabatai. Magnus waved his hand and a portal appeared before them. "We need to deal with a lot of things, but the rune I might be able to address when we get back to everyone."

Alec was sleeping, but not. He sat in a room full of white furniture with gold finishing and filigree. White floors with veins of gold, and windows that let in a slightly golden light. A glitzy hospital room was all he could think, when Muriel stepped into his line of sight. He nodded, it figured. "Invading my sleep now?"

Muriel gave a soft smile. "My presence in the world draws attention. One instance can be explained away, more than that and I risk exposure."

Alec slumped in his seat grumpy after everything that happened earlier. "To what do I owe the visit this time." thoroughly done with magic, angels, demons, runes, and all of it, Alec just wanted to sleep.

Muriel sighed. "A bit of a history lesson I'm afraid. Magnus did not do a good job of recounting the events that led to him seeing the book. Part of the reason, I'm sure, is that he likes to bury his head in the sand about the implications, and the other part is protecting you."

Alec sat up straighter, Magnus and his gods accursed protective streak. "Tell me." Alec demanded.

"First let me ask, How much do you know about the choirs of Angels, and just where Asmodeus sat in the choir?"

Alec thought about it, he couldn't remember exactly but he knew a little. "I mean he fell with Lucifer, so pretty powerful."

"I'm an archangel and I could destroy this world twice over, I'm in the 4th tier of angels Alec. Asmodeus is a fallen Seraphim. Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer were all Seraphim and equivalent to your understanding of a god." Muriel sighed."You know that the 7 fallen are sometimes representative of mans sins, yes?"

"Yeah and Asmodeus is Lust or Desire."

"Good, do you also know that he has other incarnations in other mythologies. You've studied the Greek, Asian, Indian, and pacific mythologies haven't you."

"Yes every Shadowhunter can read ancient texts." Alec said completely exasperated.

"Excellent, and who was the god of lust in Greek and Roman mythology."

"Eros or cupid."

"And do you remember anything significant about Eros?"

"I mean he was the child of Aphrodite or Venus also sometimes a chubby baby with wings and a bow."

"He also had a twin. Brother in the stories, they didn't get that part right, in some they say he had three brothers, but in reality he just had the one sibling. A twin sister."

Alec looked at her intrigued. Where was this going? "No I didn't know that."

"Many people don't know, or they've forgotten. She didn't ascend to the choir of Seraphim, she was an Archangel like me. When Asmodeus followed Lucifer in his rebellion, he pulled her with him by mistake. Asmodeus loved her, she was the light of his life. When he was cast from heaven, because they shared a soul, her light was tainted. She didn't fall all the way to Edom, just to earth. And upon the Earth she raged for well, a long time by mortal standards. She was immortal, the only one of her kind, banished to earth." Muriel sat beside him on the couch.

"By the angel, I had no idea. I've never even remotely heard this story, who was she?" Alec asked amazed that this was all new to him. He was a pretty well read person by Shadowhunter standards.

Muriel took a deep breath. "Astarte. She gave birth to the Seelie race in all their forms. She was the mother of three distinct races. The Seelie, unseelie, and elves. Seelie come from her affair with an archangel, unseelie are her demonic children, and the elves are her children with mundanes."

Alec groaned. God damn it. A light came on in his head and he wanted to pull his hair out. "She wrote the damn book, and shit that makes her Magnus' aunt." Alec rubbed his palm across his face. This was a dream, so he couldn't really feel it, but frustration was a different matter. "So is the Seelie Queen her daughter?"

"No thank fate for small mercies. But that Astarte was Magnus' aunt, the Seelie Queen is well aware of, and incredibly insecure about. Magnus wasn't at that ceremony for any other reason than for Asmodeus to rub it in the Queen's face that Magnus was technically a blood relation to their creator."

"Magnus is a contender for the Seelie throne? How is that possible? She had children." Alec was so confused.

Muriel crossed her legs and her arms across her chest. "Of the seven fallen, Asmodeus is the only one with a child. Do you know why?" Alec was confused at the shifting of gears.

"No."

"Consider how horrifically human literature looks on the child of Lucifer, they named him the antichrist and the ender of worlds." Muriel said conversationally.

"Yeah but isn't that different? And Lilith is the mother of demons, and Asmodeus has a legion of demons." Alec pointed out.

"Yes but they created them. Their other children were not sired, they were not the product of a birth between a Seraphim, fallen or not, and child of a Seraphim is essentially a demigod, unpredictable, dangerous, and incredibly risky. And because of that you must protect him. He has the potential inside of him to destroy the world Alec, or he could remake it."

"That's why you bound me to him." eyes wide with understanding.

"Yes, he needs someone to stand both beside him and in front of him."

"Why, what is so damn special about me that you did this?" Alec wanted to shout, he wanted to shake the creature beside him, but most of all he just wanted to understand.

"Because, Alexander Gideon Lightwood, Magnus was looking for you. He has been since he was a child. He desperately longed for someone to hold his hand in the dark and fight the monsters for him. There is no one better suited for that task than you, because you'll hold his hand and you'll never look at him like he's the monster that needs to be defended against."

"You're manipulating me. You're using me against him somehow." Alec said harshly.

Muriel stood from the couch and Alec felt the weight of her power as she intoned, "Yes and no. My desire is that this world is not destroyed. There are others with opposing desires. If putting you in Magnus' path and binding you together, creates a path that leads to the world staying intact then yes I'm manipulating you. I. will. not. apologize for it."

Alec stood as well. Meeting the Angel face to face, fiercely claiming, "But you're taking away Magnus' choice"

"Absolutely not." Muriel's voice was like a whiplash. "Magnus could have broken the bond the minute he felt it. The second he saw the thread of magic that connected you together, he could have severed it. I forced him to make a choice. Yes or No. But I did not remove the opportunity for choice. I simply orchestrated it so that he would have to decide. Period." Her tone was final, her words made Alec cringe. He was still unsure.

Alec finally saw it, the trembling in her hands, the pinched look around her eyes. "Why now, what's going on that's got you so scared?"

**Magnus**

Alec's eyes blinked open and he frowned at Magnus leaning over him. Magnus brushed his palm over Alec's forehead. "You were troubled, your dreams were causing you pain." Magnus whispered.

"I was speaking to Muriel." Alec said quietly.

"And what did our little rebel tell you Alexander." Magnus said with a half smile.

"That you need to stop keeping things from me that are going to keep me from protecting you." Alec looked so very serious.

"Hmm and what would that be?" Magnus tapped his nose and watched Alec glare. He was just too adorable with his darkly handsome good looks. Magnus could just eat him up.

"That your Aunt wrote the book, that she's the creator of the Fae races, and that means a whole lot of things I haven't even begun to process yet." Magnus gaped. What the hell right did some heavenly being have, coming down here, to just blab all of his family drama all over everywhere.

"She had no right to tell you that." Magnus said fiercely, pulling back a little from Alec.

"Magnus she bound us together because protecting you is important. Not just for whatever the hell her agenda is in saving this world from Valentine, but because your death at the hands of the Fae would start a war with Edom. You taking over either of the seelie thrones would be cause for an Alliance with Edom and a war between the others. You are a political pawn and we need to make sure no one uses you." Alec said fiercely.

Magnus could no longer hold back. He'd been playing politics since he was old enough to understand what he was, and in all his centuries he had never once heard another living soul tell him that it was important that he not be used against his will; that he should be protected from all the powers that wanted to tear him apart to use his blood for their agendas. Sweet lord but this man was everything he'd ever wanted in his life.

He put his hands on Alec's neck, framing his face and went for it. Bringing his lips close enough to hover just for a moment in case Alec wanted to change his mind, but the Nephilim surged up to meet him. Their mouths pressed together and Magnus lost himself in the most glorious kiss of his life. Alec was everything he'd imagined and more. His magic sang like a Mozart symphony, and his blood ignited. Alec was loose under his hands, relaxed and warm.

Magnus pulled back slightly to catch his breath, and Alec looked at him, both of their eyes reflecting the light of the morning sun. Giddy from the sensations shuddering through their bond, Magnus laughed a sound so musical and full of life he awakened his power. Bursting from within him, he and Alec were showered in an explosion of sparkling light.

Chapter 6 -Seelie- Posted

Alec rolled over and smiled. Magnus was already gone, but he'd left a note on his empty pillow telling Alec to have a good day and that he'd gone to read the book. He stretched under the blankets and yawned wide and loud. Magnus had kissed the hell out of him the night before, and then fallen into the bed beside him where they'd both passed out from sheer exhaustion. Alec was grateful their first time hadn't been when both of them were so tired. He wanted nothing more than to have a chance to take his time learning every inch of Magnus. Groaning at the knock on his door, Alec threw off the comforter and slid out of bed. Not waiting for a response from him, the door opened to reveal Jace.

"Hey man, you okay?" Jace said striding into the room.

Alec raised a brow at him. Standing in the room Magnus had given him wearing only his boxers he had a revelation. He wanted Magnus, all of him, for however long he had left. He wanted to wake up to him and go to bed with him, he wanted their bond and he wanted to stand by his side and tear Valentine down, to create a new world where the down world could be safe. What the angel had said about Magnus essentially being a demigod didn't matter to him in the slightest. Why Jace's presence in his room triggered that thought, he had no idea, but the thought of forever with Magnus made him grin and Jace looked at him like he'd lost it.

"Dude, seriously. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm great!" Alec said turning his back to Jace and grabbing the clothes Magnus had laid out for him. Not bothering to go into the bathroom, he pulled the shirt and jeans on quickly. "What's up?" He asked as he zipped his pants and then pulled on his boots.

Jace was staring at him like he was confused, and Alec snapped his fingers to get his attention. "Right, yeah. I wanted to talk to you about what the hell has been going on and what we're going to do about the sacrifice runes. Clary's is activated."

Alec could hear the terror in Jace's voice and winced. "How long?"

"It didn't activate right away, best guess she has about 6 hours before she deteriorates or she needs to go back. And if she goes back we're all fucked."

Alec nodded in acknowledgement and stood there for a minute taking his parabatai in. He could feel just how unsettled Jace was, and the part of him that was connected to the other man made him want to comfort him. Instead he decided to do the next best thing, overload him with information. He motioned for Jace to sit in one of the chairs in the room and proceeded to tell him everything that had happened since he left. Jace sighed, groaned and laughed while Alec told the story, and when he was done all his parabatai could say was "So, you and Magnus huh, that's a thing?"

Alec laughed and stood up headed towards the door. "Oh yeah it's definitely a thing. The best thing." He paused before the door, imagining Magnus' face from the night before and couldn't stop the grin taking over his face. Jace laughed at him and bumped their shoulders together.

"I"m happy for you man, you deserve it."

Jace stepped back out of the room and Alec followed him. He honestly had no idea where they were, which was a recurring theme with Magnus. They were in some sort of industrial complex, it honestly made him think of an underground bunker. Metal floors with railing, metal doors leading to rooms, and at the end of the pathway a big open circular room.

"Where the hell are we?" Alec asked.

"About that, Magnus brought us to one of the refugee camps. It's an old abandoned prison. He said they re-purposed it." Stepping out onto the balcony, Alec looked down and had to resist the urge to hide. His people were responsible for this. A room full of warlocks in various hand me down clothing sat at picnic tables eating what looked like gruel.

"Fuck." he said.

"Yeah. I didn't know it was this bad. I asked Magnus why they lived this way, and he looked at me like I was stupid. Then proceeded to rip me a new one about how they couldn't use big bursts of magic or they risked revealing their location. The kids need stability he said, and cosmetic magic was superfluous to their safety." Jace leaned against the railing and looked down, Alec settled beside him. This place was one step above an outdoor prison camp. They had a roof over their heads, but that was about it. The ones that could see him were looking at him like he was the literal devil incarnate.

"They look like we're the last people they want in their space." Alec squeezed the bars under his hand and felt the grit from the metal scrub against his skin.

"Yeah, we're not going to be invited to any tea parties. They clearly hate us. Magnus told them we're under his protection and Izzy's family, and that helped a little, but they want us gone." Jace looked haggard. His worry for Clary was wearing on him, and Alec could see the darkness both around and in his eyes. Alec felt he should be freaking out more about the sacrifice rune than he was, but there was something inside of him that believed that Magnus would fix it. He wasn't sure if it came from the Angel, or if it was just a feeling born of how much he trusted Magnus, but he wasn't freaking out.

Clapping his hand on Jace's shoulder he used his other hand to motion down to the first floor. "Any chance they'd give us some food, I'm starving." Hoping to distract his brother with food he made his way downstairs, with Jace following behind him, and immediately regretted the decision. If their looks while he was standing above them were bad, it was nothing compared to face to face interaction. Hate blazed in the their eyes. Alec very much wanted to rest a hand on his blade, but he was currently unarmed. Which led to a whole round of self recrimination. Being with Magnus made him feel safe, and when he'd gotten up he hadn't even thought to check for his stele or his weapons. Jace was an extension of that safeness, so he'd walked out of his room completely defenseless. How could he have been so stupid?

They didn't make it very far into the room before he was almost certain they should absolutely walk their asses back upstairs. Before he turned around though, a little tiny warlock launched themselves at him and wrapped their arms around his neck "Alec!" Madzie shouted. Alec laughed and squeezed her. "Hey kiddo, how are you doing?"

"Good. Where have you been?" she whispered in his ear.

"I had to help Magnus go get a book." He said just as quietly.

They were whispering to one another which is why it was such a shock to his system to hear a shout from the crowd, "Get your filthy Shadowhunter hands off of that child!" He couldn't let her go or she would fall, and he couldn't bend down or risk the movement startling the warlocks around him. A man came bursting through the crowd. Alec saw a goatee, and dark brown hair slicked back in a ponytail before looking over at Jace.

"Lorenzo, Magnus said that..." came a voice, and the man shouting replied sharply. "Magnus isn't here and this trespasser has one of our children. I will not stand by and do nothing."

Alec turned back toward the pissed off warlock and watched as he raised his hands, someone in the distance shouted "You're going to hurt the girl!" but Lorenzo paid them no mind. Waiting for the last possible minute, knowing he had no weapons, Alec dropped to the floor and covered the child. An explosion sounded through the room and an angry shout was the only thing Alec heard because his ears were ringing from the blast. Heat brushed across his back, but he wasn't in any pain. Madzie wasn't hurt, but she was staring up at him in terror. "It's going to be okay, I promise." He whispered to her. She nodded and hid her face back in his neck. When the ringing cleared he picked back up on the conversation and the fact that Jace had dropped to the ground beside him.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Catarina screamed at Lorenzo. "You could have hurt Madzie you psycho." Magnus stood behind her, fury in every line of his body.

"Not to mention that burst of magic could very well have given our location away." Magnus' voice was shaking he was so mad, and Alec was impressed Magnus was able to keep his magic under control. Catarina had the one called Lorenzo up against the wall with her hand at his throat. About 20 warlocks were still gathered around, waiting to see what would happen.

"It's the Shadowhunter's fault. He shouldn't have…" Lorenzo said with a whine.

"I told Madzie she could say hi when she saw Alec again. He saved her life. You on the other hand care nothing for it, if your behavior here is any indication." Cat said with a snarl.

Lorenzo made a protesting noise, but Magnus had had enough. He slammed the book he was carrying down on the nearest table and an explosion of magic came forth. Rose gold swirling clouds with the faintest hint of glitter. "If you don't want me to use everything I've learned from this book in the past few hours to erase your existence, you will get out of my sight." Magnus' eyes were flashing, and Alec was in awe. Lorenzo slunk back into the shadows of the room, and the other warlocks dispersed when they realized the action was over.

Alec helped Madzie up from the floor and handed her over to Cat. "Thank you Alec, again, thank you."

"My pleasure honestly." He said to the trembling woman.

"Cat take Madzie to your room. You both need some time." Magnus said softly.

"Thank you all." Cat said as she turned and walked from the room. Madzie over her shoulder waving goodbye to Alec.

"Well that ruined my surprise to say the least, are the both of you okay?"

Jace shrugged and Alec said, "yeah the magic he set off didn't actually hit us. I assume I have you to thank for that."

"You assume correctly Alexander." Magnus smirked.

Alec couldn't help the slight flush to his cheeks. Not having seen Magnus when he left, this was the first time he'd talked to him since they'd kissed the night before and he just needed a minute to bask. Magnus was wearing a teal v neck silk shirt that opened far enough to expose his toned chest. Gold necklaces hung from his neck, and he had added a row of gold earrings to match. Black pants and black pointed boots rounded out the look and Alec salivated. Thoroughly distracted it took Jace clearing his throat before he asked, "So what was your surprise?"

"I know how to break the sacrifice rune." Magnus said triumphantly.

Arriving back at their camp only to see Alec on the floor protecting Madzie from a warlock blast, was not how Magnus envisioned their reunion. Kissing Alec had been the highlight of his century if he were to be honest. Kissing had never caused his magic to go off like it had last night, he wasn't about to tell Alec the fireworks were unusual though. He didn't want to scare him off, so he'd made himself scarce this morning to give them both some time to think. Alec knew who he was now, who he really was, and with that came complications. The sort that an adventurous Shadowhunter may not want to deal with, so Magnus had focused on digging through the book for some answers.

Answers he'd found.

Some he liked, some he didn't, but in the end he knew how to break the curse now. Alec might not like it, but they had the knowledge. Magnus couldn't help but wonder if the Angel had known before she sent them after the book, and if she did know then she was well aware of what they were about to do.

"Jace go check on Clary." Magnus ordered.

"No, I want to know what you're going to do?" He said firmly.

Magnus glared. "Alec and I will need to perform a ritual, an old one, and one that doesn't need an audience. You need to go make sure Clary stays stable until we're done. We'll try to be quick, but it's been literal millennia since this ritual was performed. So shoo." Magnus waved Jace away and he gave in with a sigh. Alec looked adorably confused, but stood his ground.

"So what do we need to do?" Alec shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked forward waiting for Magnus' response.

"Follow me." Magnus opened a portal, grabbed the book, and beckoned Alec though.

The place Magnus brought them was a room surrounded on all sides by wall high bushes, dark green and thick.A small archway was the only exit and Alec turned to look at him questioningly, but Magnus said nothing just walked the the archway trees lined a dirt path, falling red leaves covering the ground and moonlight breaking through the branches. "Magnus, where are we?" Alec pushed a branch out of the way, and that's when Magnus realized the tree bark was navy blue and not a trick of the moonlight.

"We're in the Unseelie realm. Just beyond this path is the throne room where Astarte sat when the races were united." Magnus stepped over a broken rock and straightened his jacket. He was going to have to tell Alec before they did anything, what was going on, but he was putting it off.

"And what are we doing here?" Magnus could hear the thinning patience in Alec's voice. Well here goes nothing he thought.

"Magic. We're here because magic. Did you know that warlock magic derives its essence from blood?" Magnus said conversationally.

Alec turned a confused look at him, "No I didn't."

"Well it does. Seelie magic is earth and nature magic, Angelic power is derived from energy and light, Warlock power is blood and life, and Unseelie power is bone and darkness. We teach this in warlock school, you should attend." Magnus gave Alec a cheeky grin and he smiled in return.

"Still doesn't answer my question."

Magnus huffed. "Patience dear one." Alec pushed some more branches out of the way. This area of the realm was completely deserted, and had grown over hundreds of years before. Magnus continued his explanation. "So your sacrifice rune is blood magic, and Angelic magic can't counter it. Chances are earth magic can't either, so that leaves Unseelie magic. The magic of darkness and bone. Which I suspected before I got my hands on the book, however, Unseelie magic isn't all that easy to come by."

Magnus stopped. Looked up into the moonlit sky and turned to Alec. "Astarte sealed the true realm of the Unseelie so long ago that even the immortal children she has today do not remember its existence. It's a place where darkness is born and monsters are created."

"That sounds like Edom." Alec ran a hand across Magnus' back, and Magnus was entirely grateful for the comforting touch.

"No it's nothing like Edom. Monsters in Edom are not born of your nightmares. Demons are born with purpose, they have weaknesses defined by their traits, and your kind is meant to destroy them. Tech Duin breeds nightmares that aren't meant to be destroyed, they're a bastion of power for the dark, it's where the wild hunt's power comes from, though I'm not sure they know that. The creatures in Tech Duin are the host, the heart of the seelie."

"And we're going there?" Alec asked incredulously.

"No darling we'd never survive, our bodies would be shredded the minute we opened the door. We're going to create a nightmare and use it to fulfill the curse."

"Magnus…."

"Not to worry Alexander, the ritual is very clear."

"This has been done before?"

"Yes, it was used to break a curse on one of Astarte's children. She'd managed to get herself in trouble with a demon and he took exception to her many lovers. Astarte created the ritual to save her child. I think we can trust its efficacy." Magnus came to a stop in the throne room and breathed in the smell of roses. They burst from the walls, and covered the broken thrones, the room was overrun but no less gorgeous than it had been when in use.

"This place is amazing." Alec said as he looked around. Magnus hummed in agreement, looking for the altar that he would need to use for the spell. Finding it turned over at the back of the room he motioned Alec to come stand beside him.

"So what do we have to do?" He asked as he poked at the ivy leaves wrapped around the stone altar.

"You don't have to do stand there and look pretty. Oh and bleed just the tiniest bit onto the altar. I'll take care of everything else." Magnus waved his arm and they were surrounded by lit candles. The overgrowth from before was gone, and the thrones were back in their original state. Wooden thrones with a beautiful harp were revealed, and Alec could almost imagine the King and Queen sitting there listening to another fae play music. Magnus continued to wave his hand and blue magic floated all over the room, cleaning things up as it went. When he was done, the stone dais had a bowl presumably for Alec's blood and a collection of bones in an intricate pattern, like a mandala around the bowl.

Magnus stood on one side and Alec on the other. "I'm going to put some of your blood into the bowl, then everything is going to go dark. From that darkness, I need you to imagine the most horrible thing you can, Izzy's death, Jace's death, the destruction of the world. Whatever the most horrifying thing you can imagine happening is, I need you to think about it. The magic is going to take that nightmare and create a monster. We're going to gift the monster to Tech Duin. Then Donn their leader is going to sever the runes connection to blood."

Magnus closed his eyes and started speaking in a language Alec didn't recognize. He pulled Alec's hand over the altar and sliced the tip of his finger open. Then he squeezed until the blood dripped into the bowl. Another long string of gibberish words, and he turned his catlike gaze to Alec. "Now Alec, close your eyes and go into the darkness." Alec did as he said and felt the overwhelming desire to scream.

He was surrounded on all sides by the weight of oblivion. A light flickered above him and he could see nothing but a room full of dead people. Heads severed, torture marks covering all of them, and in the center he could see himself holding Magnus' lifeless body. Blood pouring from his slashed throat, hair cut away in patches and his face almost unrecognizable from the bruising. He was standing in a warlock slaughterhouse and he could barely breathe from the pain of it. Looking away from Magnus and his weeping self, he gagged and tried to focus on anything else. Looking up he saw Madzie. Her tiny childlike body hanging from a meathook. Alec dropped to his knees and vomited. Bile burned the back of his throat and pain thrummed through him. He crawled away from his mess, and tried to calm his breathing, but he stuck his hand in something warm and realized it was Jace's blood. He lay on the floor flayed open. Alec dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back. He closed his eyes and screamed.

"Alexander. Alec come on, come back to me." Magnus was saying in his ear.

"I can't. I can't." He kept stuttering. Unable to push the visage away.

"Shhhh sweetheart it's over. You did what you needed to do darling." Magnus said softly in his ear while stroking his hair back from his brow. Alec looked up at him through wet eyes and Magnus could barely hold back his own sobs.

They were no longer in the throne room, they were sitting on bones. Around them was a lake of inky black water. The moon wasn't shining, and Magnus wasn't even sure if they were outside. One candle burned on the bones beside them, but otherwise they were surrounded by darkness.

"Was the throne room an illusion?" Alec rasped his voice hoarse from screaming.

"No, we've been moved." Magnus squeezed the back of Alec's neck and helped him raise up. From the inky black water a figure began to emerge. The water made no noise as the head and torso came into view. Magnus realized that it wasn't water at all but an inky like darkness. The figure from the depths was covered in vines from neck to foot. Dead vines. His face was skeletal, but he had eyes like the stars. Hair hung down to his waist in a black curtain, and he held his pale arms out in an almost welcome gesture.

"Kai Asta, you have given me a fine gift, the nightmare of a Nephilim." The voice was guttural, deep, and Magnus felt the weight of it on his skin. Also he gaped a little bit because it knew his given name. That was concerning on many levels. Magnus had been Magnus for longer than most people were aware. Even Asmodeus had stopped using his given name.

"Do you accept the gift and the exchange?" Magnus asked calmly trying not to distract himself with just how this being knew him.

The being, which Magnus was hoping was Donn the guardian of the Fae realm of the dead, tilted his head to the side. He turned his eyes upon Alec and Magnus flinched.

"You have brought a child of light before me." He tilted his head again. "I see." He bent his head so his hair fell forward, a waterfall reflecting the candle light. Alec and Magnus waited quietly for the being to decide. Pointing a skeletal finger toward Alec his voice became even heavier, "I will accept the gift and the exchange, but I will give you something else Kai Asta so that you may see beyond the choice you will face."

The skeletal being raised his hand and a dark void of inky black surrounded Alec's hand. The bones in his hand cracked and Magnus winced. The ritual hadn't said anything about breaking bones, but if this worked he'd worry about the healing later. Alec fell back against him and sighed with relief. Magnus could feel the runes power lift. With another wave of his hand the darkness surrounded Magnus, and he felt a brief burn near his heart before the power retreated. What did he mean give him something else? What was it?

"Kai, you should see to your bond. It will serve the both of you well should you make it whole." With those parting words Donn walked back into the inky black lake, the candle light went out, and between one blink and the next he and Alec were back in the throne room.

"Holy shit Magnus. Holy shit." Alec kept repeating.

Magnus wasted no time healing Alec's hand while also trying to figure out just what the hell the god had done. Alec slumped back into the grass and Magnus didn't even fight the urge to lay down beside him. "Are you okay Alexander?" Magnus asked softly.

"I don't even know Magnus. I can't really process what just happened." Alec said heavily.

"Well we broke the curse of the rune, now we go back and check on Clary, and start the real work." Magnus put his hands over his eyes. Still struggling with hearing his name said so casually from the lips of an ancient being of darkness.

"Real work. You can't be serious." Alec grumbled.

"We've still got the Downworld to save, and the sanctuary to find darling. Our journey isn't even close to being over."

Alec groaned. "About that. What about here. Here seems nice. I wouldn't ever have to get up again if we just declared here is sanctuary, and Valentine can fuck right the hell off."

Magnus chuckled. "Well dear, that won't work because this doesn't actually belong to us. I'm sure the Faery Queen would have a few things to say about us carving out a piece of her realm."

"She does in fact have a few things to say to you. To the both of you." A voice interrupted their musings and Magnus groaned. Well damn. So much for avoiding the little red haired menace. He lifted his head and looked at the warrior intruding upon them, and wanted to pull his hair out. Samuel. He was right about the guy. Entirely untrustworthy. "You both need to come with me."

"We're not technically in Seelie jurisdiction." Magnus said steadily.

Samuel frowned. "I'm taking you in regardless."

Magnus wanted to fry the guy, but he knew getting it over with was the lesser of two evils. So he stood up and pulled Alec to his feet as well. "Say nothing in the Queen's presence. I'll get us out of here." Confidently following behind the Queen's little guard dog, he sighed over just how much he was not looking forward to this.

Chapter 7 - Love - Posted

They'd been in the cell for about an hour, and Alec had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the hour. Sat on the floor, his back up against the wall, his head tilting to the side, and his body tense as if any moment he'd snap awake ready to fight. Magnus had to admire him for his vigilance, even if he didn't quite understand it. Magnus didn't usually fall for warriors, fighters maybe, but never born and bred warriors. There was something intense and masterful about the way Alec carried himself, and even for one so young there was the slightest bit of intimidation. He made Magnus nervous of all things, with his air of complete assurance. Competence was sexy, and Alec had it in spades. Magnus didn't need the half formed bond between them to see or feel just how surefooted Alec was in a fight. He'd seen it himself against the fake Shadowhunters.

Magnus felt no shame in admiring Alec's sleeping self, he smiled to himself a little thinking of the blush that would surely bloom if Alec woke up and caught him. He was strong, a bit taciturn, and just all around not normally Magnus' type. But they were in each others space, and the more Magnus saw of him, the more he realized that Alec was everything he had ever wanted but just couldn't find. This was a man that would lay his life down to protect. He was the embodiment of what the Nephilim were meant to be, not what they'd become. And as Magnus stared at him, he wondered just how in the hell he would ever be able to deserve him. Because he loved him. He was in love with Alexander Lightwood.

The son of a Greater Demon and a child of the light, the two things just didn't belong together. And as much as Magnus thought that, he couldn't help but believe that Alec belonged with him. Confusing to say the least. Magnus considered everything that had happened since Alec had fallen into his life, and he couldn't help but admit that he was happier for it, even if the circumstances were less than ideal. He wanted to wine and dine the Nephilim, take him to parties and watch him be grumpy as Magnus danced the night away, and then lay in one another's arms. He wanted the world to fall away, and it just be the two of them.

Alec brought a fire of hope with him, that Magnus was clinging to with all of his might. He wanted to fight harder, he wanted the war to be over, and he wanted to win. For so long, he'd just run around trying to survive and keep his people alive, that he'd almost forgotten what it was like to feel hope for the future. Alec had given that back to him.

Magnus squared his shoulders against the wall where he'd been sitting since the snakey Fae had thrown him in here to wait on the Queen. He made up his mind. He would do no less for the Nephilim in his care. The Queen was coming for him, he could feel her presence weighing on his mind, and for the first time in a century or more, he was going to push back. He'd always let her call the shots because he knew starting a fight with her would be more trouble than it was worth, but he had Alec to consider now. And he was done being pushed around.

Alec lifted his head and blushed to see Magnus staring at him. Oh god had he drooled on himself. Putting his hands on his face to scrub the sleep away, he hoped he got any incriminating dry patches of spit off of his face in the process. Magnus was smiling at him when he finished, and he just looked back at him. Aware. Fully Aware. That his face probably looked dopey as hell. "Anything happened?"

"No darling." Magnus said softly. "The Queen seems to have finished her party though, because she's coming. Or rather sending someone to fetch us." Magnus stretched his legs out in front of him and shifted his position, like he was trying to find a comfortable spot. Impossible in this place. Their cell was a room with dirt floors and dead ivy on the walls. No bed, no chairs, no windows, just a door and four walls.

"How do you know she's sending someone?" Alec shifted himself until he was crouching, his muscles needed a bit of a stretch after his brief nap.

"I can feel them." Magnus said with a shrug. And sure enough less than a minute later magic filled the room and Alec was bound in his position. Half crouching on the floor. Magnus winced with sympathy. The door swung open and two Fae warriors entered, Samuel with them.

Magnus let all three men enter the room before he decided he'd had enough Alec guessed, because the minute they were in the room, Magnus snapped his fingers. Their magic dissipated and Alec was able to stand. He didn't miss the look of shock on all of their faces though. "I'll see the Queen now." Magnus commanded, and the three Fae looked at one another a little uneasily. It dawned on Alec they didn't know who Magnus really was. Damn.

"We were instructed to bring you alone Warlock Bane." One of the guards interjected. Magnus raised a brow at him and put his hands on his hips.

"Yes I suppose that would probably be best." Alec was about to protest when Magnus' magic came alive. He curled his fingers in a smooth wave, and a bed appeared with a book and some food. He then turned to the guards, but they wisely chose to retreat before Magnus made them. Samuel wasn't the brightest light bulb.

"What the hell do you think you're doing warlock. You have no right."...his words stuttered off.

"I didn't like you when we met, and I like you no better now. If you don't want to be banished to the Sahara, I suggest you shut up and get out of my sight." Magnus' eyes narrowed and he was in full on destroyer mode. Alec shivered, and fought down the desire that washed over him. Damnit. Not the time or the place. Neither one of them were paying him any attention, but he valiantly resisted the urge to adjust himself in his pants.

Samuel glared at Magnus, but walked out of the cell. Magnus just smirked his smug little smirk and finally turned his attention to Alec. Flipping his hand behind him the door closed and locked, his magic wafted around the room, bringing the ivy back to life and candles appeared out of nowhere. "You'll be comfortable while I'm gone. Don't leave the room, this place is dangerous, but I'll leave the door unlocked so you don't feel like a prisoner."

Alec was confused. "Why didn't you?" He waved his hand encompassing all the changes in the room. Magnus had turned it into a comfortable fairy tale bedroom.

The warlock sighed. "The Queen will take exception to this. And it could cause trouble. But at this point, she's pushed me about as far as I'm willing to be pushed."

Alec shrugged. "Fair enough. How long do you think we'll be here?"

Magnus tilted his head as if listening to something, with a smirk he said "A couple of chapters into that book should do it." Pointing to the book on the table.

Magnus took Alec's hands in his and drew him closer, Alec smiled softly and put up no resistance. The hug was a welcome distraction from worrying about everything. Magnus wasn't soft, he wasn't delicate, he was like a little burst of lightning, and Alec felt the energy flow through him as they wrapped their arms around one another. He had no idea if it was the bond, or if all warlocks gave sparky hugs, but Alec was addicted to the thrumming feel of the man in his arms.

Magnus pulled back just the slightest bit and leaned towards him and a reflex, or an instinct that lived inside Alec kicked in. Pressing his lips to Magnus' he let out all of his pent up desire he'd been holding onto. Alec had to control his need to giggle because he was elated that they were both starving for one another. Willing to disregard the Fae waiting for them just outside the room, and the danger that was sure to come from facing the Fae queen, they kissed one another like they had no care in the world. Clinging to the warlock in his arms, Alec was a little afraid that Magnus might be put off by how needy he felt, but instead of pulling away Magnus just intensified his grip.

Alec was delighted. He'd never kissed anyone in his life, but now he'd kissed Magnus twice and each time he felt giddy with the sensations he couldn't even describe. Magnus was warm, his mouth was fire, and he tasted like cherry lip gloss. Alec drew back a little and grinned. Magnus opened his eyes and met his grin with one of his own. Then pressed back in placing small quick kisses on his mouth. Alec laughed and pressed them back together fully, opening his mouth and biting Magnus' lip. Using his teeth to pull Magnus further in, causing the warlock to groan. The sound set off flutters inside Alec and the intensity in the room went up a notch, and Alec got hard almost instantly.

Alec moved his hands up to Magnus' shoulders, cradling his head then gripping the back of his neck. Grounding himself with the feel of Magnus under his hands, he kissed him back with everything he had. He wanted to drag him to the bed, get naked, and climb all over him. But at the same time, he just wanted the kiss to go on forever. Magnus' hand slid down Alec's spine, even through the shirt, Alec's body shuddered. Then Magnus pulled away, breaking their kiss, and Alec moaned in disappointment.

"You are delicious, everything about you is temptation." Magnus said, his voice hoarse from desire. Alec couldn't help the blush that took over his face. At both Magnus' words and his appearance. Magnus looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, rumpled, and well…perfect. He should always look like this. Alec stepped forward, not ready to let him go. "Darling, I have to go. I need to get you out of here." Magnus rubbed his stomach with a grimace, and Alec blinked.

"What's wrong Magnus?" Shaking off the desire was difficult, but there was something wrong so Alec got it together.

"I can't be sure, but the bond is doing something…" Magnus gasped and that's when Alec felt it. He'd been so consumed with his desire for Magnus, it hadn't registered fully, but the rune on his back was tingling. Like he'd activated it with his steele.

"We activated the bond rune." Alec said matter of factly.

"Activated it? What do you mean?"

"It feels like it would if I ran the steele over it." Alec pulled his shirt up and turned around. He couldn't see it, but Magnus would be able to. "What does it look like?"

He felt Magnus' hand brush the rune and they both gasped. "We're completing the bond." Magnus said between pants.

"What?" Alec dropped his shirt and turned around. "What do you mean completing the bond? I mean doesn't the rune mean we're bonded?"

Magnus shook his head. "No it means I'm bonded to you, it doesn't mean you're bonded to me. I have no mark."

Alec frowned. Then he put his hands on his hips. "Well why not?!"

Magnus looked up at him from under his dark lashes, his eyes did the flash thing they sometimes did, "Do you wish to be bonded to me?" His words were like velvet, soft as they drifted over Alec, and Alec couldn't resist raising his hands and placing them on Magnus' neck framing his face.

"Of course I want to be bound to you! Magnus I've never felt this way about anyone. You literally called the god of the underworld to save my life and the lives of Nephilim like me. You're fearless and powerful and beautiful, and why the hell wouldn't I want share a bond with you." Alec just looked at him. He hadn't said the words. Neither of them had, but Alec knew. He'd known since the meeting with Catarina, Ragnor, and Raphael. He'd known when Magnus had come to Alicante and met Jace, he'd known when they'd kissed for the first time. He was in love with Magnus. If they had more time. If they weren't in the middle of a war, he might have had the luxury of dating and maybe doing this right, but they weren't. He'd learned at a young age that losing something you love could happen in the blink of an eye, so nothing was more important than holding onto the ones you loved and protecting them. "I love you." He said it plainly and without artifice. It was the only way he knew how.

Magnus eyes shifted and turned yellow, blazing at him, and that's when Alec realized they were his warlock mark. Magnus Bane had cat eyes. Glorious and beautiful as he'd been before, Alec couldn't help but think that this suited him far more. He was gorgeous. Magnus lifted his own hands so they rested on Alec's and smiled. Pink and gold magic swirled around them, and Alec felt the bond snap like a rubber band against his back. "So it must be." Magnus said formally. Then his eyes lit up and he groaned. Alec felt it when the bond became final. He could feel Magnus in a way that he hadn't before. This was nothing like the parabatai bond. He could see into Magnus' mind fully, and he'd never seen anything so amazing in his life.

He could feel what Magnus was feeling, see what he was seeing. A wall tried to come up and Magnus was gently pushing him away. Alec couldn't let him do it though, and pushed back. Not intentionally, but he didn't want to lose the connection. His eyes went wide. "Magnus?" He said it questioningly not knowing what he should do.

Magnus gripped his wrists and pulled them down from his face. "The reason the Angels didn't give the soul bond to Shadowhunters when the runes were handed down, is because you were meant to believe that Angels were all powerful benevolent beings. The first time a bond was formed between a Nephilim, and a being with greater power, it would shake the foundation of their cause. It was easier to just not let you have it. This bond is heart, mind, and soul Alec. I couldn't have completed it if I didn't love you, but we need to step back. We'll get lost in one another if we don't."

Alec was shaking. It was a lot. Magnus was trying to put a barrier up between them so it wasn't overwhelming, but he could feel the power inside the warlock. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before in his life. He loved Magnus, and he could feel exactly how much Magnus loved him. The universe wasn't big enough for the two of them, the stars and a galaxy couldn't hold them. "Magnus." Alec said desperately, he was slipping into the void of the bond, he couldn't find his footing. Magnus' anger and pain from his youth, his desperation to save his people, his fear of the future, and finally his hope. Alec stepped into his hope and found his footing. Magnus wanted a future. He wanted that future with Alec. And feeling like he was on solid ground, finally, he let Magnus erect the barrier between them. Taking a solid breath finally, he looked into Magnus' cat eyes and his own eyes flashed white with power, "Holy shit."

Magnus grin was devilish. "There's nothing holy about us darling." He lifted his shirt and Alec could see the rune on Magnus' hip, peeking out just above the waist of his pants. Magnus pulled his pants down further so they could see the rune in its entirety. Alec wanted to touch it, but he knew how sensitive runes were when first burned on. Instead he looked up into Magnus' glittering eyes.

"I could see your past."

"Yes, and that you're my future."

Alec smiled at Magnus, holy hell this was amazing. A knock came at the door, startling the both of them. Alec glared. He didn't want Magnus to go. Magnus said just a minute to the guard and walked back to Alec. Lifting up he briefly kissed him and pulled away. "I don't want you to leave."

"Oh darling the last thing I want to do is go have a pointless argument with my cousin, but if I don't, we'll never get the chance to be alone." Magnus started to step away and head towards the door, but Alec pulled him back for one last kiss.

"Fine, but you better not take forever." He said grumpily.

Magnus giggled. "As you command." Then he flounced out of the room and Alec fell back on the bed with a sigh. He couldn't wait for all of this to be over. He grabbed the book on the nightstand that Magnus had conjured and felt a laugh burst out of him. The book was titled The Prince of Temptation and had two dark haired men on the cover half dressed, and looking at each other desperately. Alec giggled and put the book down, no way was he reading that nonsense. He picked up a roll from the tray of food and took a bite, looked around the room, and his gaze came back to the book. Really Magnus couldn't have conjured something useful for him to read.

No way. He wasn't doing it.

With a sigh he stood up and went over to the door to lock it. If he was doing this, he was at least going to make sure he didn't get caught. Sitting back down, he let out a "what the hell" sigh and opened the book.

Magnus walked into the throne room and looked at his little red haired cousin sitting on the throne. She was impressive. She always had been. But he was pissed. And over it.

She waved her hand at her courtiers and her guards lined up around her. Magnus knew she liked an audience, well tough shit he thought. With a wave of his hand he created a barrier around them shielding them from view. She stood from her throne, pissed off, "Magnus Bane you are in my court, you..."

"Pyrrah sit the fuck down." She gaped at him. Not only because he'd used her real name he thought, but people just didn't talk to her like that anymore.

"You dare." She said angrily.

"I'm about to show you just how much I dare, if you don't sit your ass down." Magnus walked closer to the throne. She eyed him warily and sat down. Magnus conjured his own chair and sat it before her. He let her have the dais, he didn't need it. She could look down at him all she wanted, it made him no never mind.

"Magnus, what the hell were you doing in the old court." She said waspishly choosing to disregard his power move. Good girl he thought, pick your battles. She'd always been really good at that. Honestly, he really did respect her as a leader. She was shortsighted, and a little too Nationalistic for his taste, but she didn't do things without thinking of her people first. She just had a really bad habit of thinking that the one with the biggest dick would win the fight. Power did not equate winning. And he was never going to be able to convince her of that.

Magnus sighed. "I had an errand to run that is entirely none of your business."

"It is my realm." She shouted and almost stood again.

"No, you occasionally send your guard to go check the place out, but that is the Unseelie's jurisdiction and you know it. They just don't bother to fight you for it." Magnus shifted in the chair until he was entirely relaxed. A position that was not lost on the Queen, she sat ramrod straight, tension rolling off her in waves.

"I extended my boundaries fairly."

Magnus raised one of his brows. "And should their actual leader raise himself, would he say the same?"

Pyrrah looked away into the distance and frowned. Magnus watched her fidget and thought of Alec. Wondering if he'd deigned to read the book, or if he tossed it under the bed with a blush. If he knew him like he thought he did, his curiosity won and he'd opened the book to see what it was about. Pyrrah snapped herself out of her wandering and Magnus brought his attention back to her. "He would perhaps simply declare it not so. Magnus what were you doing there?" She said it softly and without the heat of command.

"It really does have nothing to do with you Pea. I promise. What the hell are you doing with Valentine?" Magnus used the name he'd given her when he was a kid, and when he thought her desire to rule wouldn't tear their relationship apart. Naive as he'd been, he really thought they could be family. She hadn't really wanted a family, all she'd ever wanted had been power, and you couldn't force people to want what you wanted.

"Astarte. She wants the doors to Tech Duin opened. She's always wanted that. She never really wanted to close them in the first place, and her plots have outlived her death with that damn book. Valentine will ensure that does not happen." She said fiercely.

"I don't pretend to know the mind of a fallen Angel, because hell knows my father's plots rarely make sense, but damnit Pea at some point you have to let the paranoia go."

"I will not have my throne pulled out from under me, I've fought too hard."

"And we all die to make sure that happens? Where is the sense in that Pea?" Magnus' own voice rose to match hers.

"What are you talking about?"

"You cannot be that ignorant Pyrrah. If he succeeds in wiping out the Downworld races, magic will die. And those born of magic will die with it."

"That's not true. He said the angels.."

"They bloody well didn't. They can't. If he succeeds they will abandon this reality because the reality itself will collapse. They won't have a choice, and neither will we. The realms will converge into one, and we will die."

Pyrrah slumped back into her throne. "He said…" She trailed off. "How do I know you're not lying?" A vicious kind of power took over her face and Magnus thought, there's your true face. Maybe you should wear it more often, or admit to it when you look in the mirror. He didn't say it though. With a sigh he stood from his chair.

"I don't have to prove it to you Pea, I can show you." He pulled from his center, the power he'd possessed his whole life. From Astarte's book, he wove the spell of future sight. He pushed the possibilities into Pyrrah's mind and let them take hold. Dabbling in foresight had never been his forte, nor had it ever been something he wanted to dabble in, but it served its purpose here. He let Pyrrah look at the future, watched her face fall, and the pain of loss overwhelm her. Enough she screamed into her hall. Magnus ended the spell.

"Why?" She asked to no one in particular and Magnus let her flounder in confusion. Let her see what hell she had wrought on both her people and his own.

"You need to step down Pea." Her head snapped up so she was glaring at him fiercely. "Don't look at me like that. You know in your heart I've never wanted the damn throne. For as much as the players around us like to dangle me before you, I have no desire for it. But," He held up his finger as she started to interrupt. "You have been Queen for longer than most of your people remember. You fight for them and you would die for them, but what you won't do is progress. You won't let them move forward. You hide behind your curtains of power, and you keep them from evolving." Magnus snapped his fingers again and removed the illusions around the court.

The throne room had been gorgeous, sparkling, and alive. At some point her people had wandered out, at a silent command she'd given. Now, after Magnus removed the illusion, the throne room became a dull reflection of itself. The throne was wilting, and not a single living flower existed around them. In the court of flowers, of nature, dying didn't always mean death. But the scent of decay shouldn't overpower the spring court in any way. "It doesn't matter how much power you amass, your reign is killing the Fae court, and the decay may one day infect your people instead of just the land around them."

"That's not true, you have no idea what I've done to keep this place alive." Pyrrah stood from the dying throne, and Magnus watched her pull her power into herself.

"Pea you're draining the court. You're killing it. This obsession you have with power is ruining your people's future. Alec and I are going to leave, you can't keep me here. You need to think about what you're doing. You need to think long and hard. You can't hide it from them forever." Magnus stood and turned to leave the room, but her last question stopped him.

"How did you know?" Magnus could hear the weakness of defeat in her tone.

"When I was younger, and I visited the court, I always felt the joy of life seep into me. Every time. It felt like being alive was the most wondrous and beautiful thing to be, and I don't feel that any longer." Magnus heard a sob as he exited the room to collect Alec and make his way back to his own people.

Chapter 8 - War - Posted

"Hey" Alec said as he rolled over to face Magnus. Light from the institutes windows covered the man beside him and turned his skin into a work of art.

Magnus smiled at him beatifically, then whispered softly into the morning light. "There are some things we should talk about love."

Alec resisted the urge to sigh, yesterday had been hell and today probably wasn't going to be any better. "Yeah" He said forlornly. Even though he was at Magnus' side, they couldn't predict what would happen when they walked out of the room. He really didn't want to leave the room.

They'd come back to the safehouse only to be bombarded by everyone around them. Clary gushing her thanks for breaking the rune. Jace nearly in tears with gratitude. But, while they had been gone Valentine had made his move. He'd sent Shadowhunters to all of the Downworld realms on the list, but Izzy and Meliorn were able to evacuate all of them before any damage could be done. She'd had the brilliant idea to bring them all to the abandoned New York Institute. When Valentine's faction had risen up, he'd emptied all of the Shadowhunter bases and brought them all back to Alicante. The huge building sat empty, so Izzy and Meliorn had moved everyone in. Ragnor and Catarina had managed the situation and found everyone a comfortable place to sleep using their power to expand spaces as needed, now they were all waiting. Waiting for the Shadowhunters to find them and the war to begin.

Alec yawned and settled under the covers watching Magnus rub his chest and wince, he became a little concerned. "Do you know what Donn did to you?" Alec asked hesitantly. Magnus hadn't really brought it up, but the powerful man had said he was giving him something. And Magnus had mentioned he felt a sting near his heart after.

Magnus shook his head looking thoughtful. "No, I don't. Not yet."

Alec moved a little closer so he could feel Magnus' breath on him. The warmth from the early morning sun was nice, but he wanted to feel Magnus' warmth against him. Running his hands over Magnus chest he tried to still the worry in his mind.

Magnus turned a very serious gaze up to Alec. "Valentine is going to come in here and try to wipe out as many of us as he can. This isn't everyone, but it's enough to decimate us." Magnus said. "Putting everyone here keeps them safe for now, but having us all in one place is ultimately dangerous."

Alec took Magnus' hand in his own and threaded their fingers together. Holding hands was such a novel idea to him. He never in his life thought he'd get to have this, laying in bed with someone he loved and doing something as simple as holding their hand. Magnus gave him strength, bond or no bond, though he could feel it thrumming just under the surface. It was telling him that Magnus was relaxed, his body at ease but his mind troubled. Alec wanted nothing more than to ease that worry. "We need a plan. Izzy and Meliorn will have the best idea of Valentine's overall movement. If the Angels are feeling benevolent, a bit of a power boost would be nice because I have a feeling he's not going to show up on his own."

"No, I don't imagine he will. Izzy said the fake Shadowhunters were experiments he'd been doing trying to genetically splice demons with Shadowhunters. Your people weren't to know about them because they're pure abomination and entirely against the teachings of the Angels."

Alec was a little sick to his stomach. Valentine was the abomination, and needed to be stopped. "We should probably get up." Alec said reluctantly raising up from under the covers. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat there looking down at the floor. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the comfort and warmth of the cocoon that Magnus had built around them.

Magnus sat up behind him and wrapped his arms around Alec's bare chest. Placing light kisses on Alec's bare shoulders he whispered in his ear something that sounded like a prayer in a language Alec didn't know. "What" he started, but Magnus just shushed him. He slid his palm up Alec's chest until his hand was resting on the deflect rune on Alec's throat. Heat burned through him and he gasped, bringing his hands up to grip Magnus' thighs which were bracketing his hips.

"I may not be able to be at your side, and something in me tells me that the fight is going to be today, so I cast a protection spell on you. I hope you don't mind." Magnus had his chin on Alec's shoulder and both hands were now resting on his stomach. Alec's muscles clenched at the touch. Instead of responding with words he twisted his torso around and pushed Magnus back onto the bed so he was laying on top of him. Magnus just looked at him wonderingly and Alec smiled softly.

"I would do the same for you if I had the power." Alec placed gentle kisses on Magnus' chest and pushed his hands under Magnus' back so he could balance himself. Magnus brought his legs up to wrap around Alec's waist and pulled him down closer so he could wrap his arms around him. Magnus ran a hand through Alec's hair and he sighed into the comforting touch. "If you keep that up Magnus we're never going to leave this room."

"Just a little longer darling, I just need a little longer." Something in Alec broke a little at the plea from the powerful man under him. He hadn't known Magnus long, but he recognized the fear in his eyes and his tone. So Alec rested against him and let the love he had for him hopefully seep through the bond so Magnus could take what he needed.

Alec sat on the wall in the training area and watched his parabatai make mincemeat of the warlocks in training. Clary's group wasn't faring any better. These people were not warriors. The wolves that Meliorn and Izzy were pushing around were doing much better, but it was still a far cry from a disciplined army. Jace waved his hands at his group to take a break and came to join Alec against the wall. Alec handed him a bottle of water.

"Verdict?" Alec asked.

Jace gave a deep sigh. "Valentine did his best to brainwash us into thinking Downworlders were vicious creatures out to destroy this world. Training them to fight for their life, all I can think is, goddamn how could we have been so damn stupid."

Alec put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly. Jace looked at his hand, and then up at Alec, seeking the comfort only a parabatai could offer. "One of the women in my group, she's a fucking preschool teacher, Alec. Every time we've ever killed a Downworlder he always said it was for the greater good. But she's a fucking preschool teacher. I honestly don't understand how she can stomach our presence." he shook his head trying to come to grips with their past and everything they'd done in Valentine's name before this. "You were right. You've always been right."

Alec didn't say anything, he didn't have to. Jace had struggled with his loyalty to Valentine in the beginning. He felt like he was going against the teachings by defying him. Even though Alec had all but proved Valentine had killed Jace's father, Jace had always clung to the idea that the Angels wouldn't allow Valentine to operate if he were wrong. Alec had told him over and over that their choices were defining them. He'd known in his gut that Valentine was corrupt, it had taken every ounce of skill he had to convince Jace of the same.

Thankfully he'd been convincible.

Alec's stride ate up the distance between him and the opps center and Magnus knew the situation was dire, but not a single soul could blame him for admiring just how gorgeous Alexander looked walking commandingly toward the group standing around the conference table. Dressed all in black, leather jacket firmly in place, he held his bow in his hand, his steele in his pocket, and a blade strapped to his back along with his arrows, the whole package made Magnus just slightly weak at the knees. Raphael of all people noticed and gave him a "you can't be serious" glare. Magnus just shrugged sheepishly. Honestly, Alexander was too much for this world, he needed to be appreciated. And Magnus vowed after this was all over, he would appreciate indefinitely.

Walking up behind the Shadowhunter he took his place at his side, more than a little grateful that everyone had come together in their absence. He stood beside Alec and tuned into the argument floating around the room.

"If we just let him stroll through the door, we're turning ourselves into sitting ducks. We have no idea what he intends." Raphael announced.

Clary shook her head in defiance, "We don't just sit, we prepare for him, we don't let him walk in we trap him."

Jace tensed up beside her not particularly liking the tone that Raphael took with her. Magnus could tell they were brushing up against one another's soft spots, but from what Catarina had told him no one had been seriously injured as they found ways to work together over the last few days. "We don't have any idea how many people he has with him, but if we have a group positioned outside and traps set up inside that should cover most of our bases. And Vampires work best indoors when the sun is up." Jace ended his spiel with his hands on his hips. Magnus could appreciate his confidence which brought his attention to Izzy and Meliorn standing at the head of the table.

Izzy had spent well over 20 minutes hugging the hell out of her brothers when she'd finally arrived. Now she was in her element and advising the group with all of the information she and Meliorn had gathered. No word on the size of the army, but she knew weapons and tactics. Her and Alec's dark heads were bent towards one another as they laid out strategic spots for long range warlock's.

Magnus felt a twinge in his heart. God but this boy could move him in ways he never imagined. Their bond was unlike anything he'd ever felt. Magnus was used to carrying doubt about how much he was loved. With Alec, he had an open channel he could tap into at any time. It was the singular most amazing thing he'd ever been blessed with. Alec's love, both of their love, was a solid reassuring weight between them.

The strategy session was in a lull, so Magnus sent out a little magic to tickle Alec's cheek. He was utterly charmed when Alec swatted at it like a fly, realized belatedly it was Magnus, turned to him at the table, jerked him into his arms for a quick hard kiss and then admonished him like a schoolboy. "Magnus if you don't focus I'm going to make you watch the children." Wolf whistles and laughter erupted around the table. Magnus blushed. Alec snapped at everyone to get back to work, and Magnus brushed his fingers across his tingling lips. Raphael gave him a look, and he huffed. Grumpy old man he thought with a huff of his own.

Magnus left it in their capable hands. He let his magic drift out of him as he looked over the wards. Ragnor and Cat had done an exemplary job, but he shored up some of the less obvious holes. Distracted as he was by the wards it took him a minute to realize the room had gone silent. He turned back towards everyone and finally felt what had silenced them. The air in the room was crackling, as the wards on the outer perimeter of the institute were breached. Valentine had arrived, the time for arguing and planning was over.

Everyone marched outside and Alec felt the tense wave of concentration that preceded a fight. Not knowing what to expect came with some amount of anxiety, but this is what they trained for. They practiced day in and day out to fight demons, not each other, but today that's what it came down to. Alec made a grab for Magnus' hand where he walked beside him through the doors. Wanting to feel the strength of the two of them connected before he lost himself in the chaos that was about to erupt around them.

Magnus surprised him when he swung around, "You had better be careful Alexander." He said fiercely and pointedly.

"Same goes for you." Alec said drawing him closer into a hug. Laying in bed together, wrapped up in the early morning light seemed so far away now, and Alec wasn't ashamed that he wanted to throw up his hands and tell everyone to fuck off and take Magnus somewhere far away. As unrealistic as it was, the desire was there. Magnus would probably laugh if he said it aloud.

"I mean it Shadowhunter." Magnus said into his chest clenching his fist into Alec's leather jacket.

"So do I warlock." Alec said just the slightest bit mockingly, running his hands soothingly down Magnus' back. The warlock liked to be touched, and Alec could spend days standing just like they were with his hands on Magnus. Something in his world just balanced out and centered when Magnus was in his arms. They hadn't been together long, but Alec couldn't even imagine going back to how it was before they'd found one another. As crazy as it all had been, Alec was thankful as hell his choices led him here. He'd never felt more balance, more real, than he did under Magnus' worried gaze.

Magnus frowned up at him, and pinched his side. "I'm not the one who introduced himself by almost dying. I will be very upset with you darling if I have to do something rash. Promise me."

Alec smiled down at Magnus' gorgeous face and kissed him just because he could, everyone around them bedamned. Magnus was his and he wasn't about to shy away from letting anyone know it. Pulling back gently he said as sincerely as he knew how, "The last thing I'm going to let anyone do is take me away from you, not now. I promise."

Magnus' eyes went flinty and he said just as sincerely a fierce note of power deepening his voice, "The angels help them if they try because I certainly will not. Come back to me Alexander. I mean it." Alec nodded kissed Magnus quickly and turned away. "I love you." He heard Magnus say and swung around with a cheeky grin and said over his shoulder "love you too." He waved like an idiot and jogged to catch up with his brother.

They wouldn't be beside one another in the fight, Magnus would be further back while Jace and Alec were on the front lines. As he got closer to Jace his brother turned to him to give him the most judgy bitch face Alec had ever seen on him. "Done sucking face with your boyfriend?"

Alec frowned, like Jace hadn't been doing the same thing 30 seconds before Alec walked up. "What crawled up your ass?" He said with zero restraint. He and Jace didn't need it.

Jace grunted at him. "Nothing."

It finally dawned on Alec, he'd been so wrapped up in Magnus he'd barely had time to think about what they were about to do. Killing their own people. Killing the people that raised them. Fighting people they knew. Damn. Jace was a front line fighter. He always had been. Clary and Alec having his back was a great support system, but it couldn't remove the anguish of looking into the eyes of someone you knew and ending their life. This was going to be hell. Alec searched for the words that would ease Jace, but there just weren't any. He couldn't find them for himself much less his parabatai.

Looking across the empty parking lot into the afternoon sky, he said a prayer to the Angels. He hadn't done that in so long it was hard to even remember. Losing faith was a pain they all shared. Watching Valentine's people march toward him he threw his arm around Jace's shoulder. Jace looked over at him, a flinty look in his eyes. Alec just held his gaze. "We protect these people, that's our mission. We keep them all safe."

Jace's eyes widened like he was surprised Alec knew what was going on in his head. "Yeah. That's the mission."

"Then we do what we have to do." Alec let his brother go and pulled his bow up, notching an arrow ready for the darkness approaching them.

Magnus kept a wary eye on Alec as he shot arrows at the approaching Shadowhunters. The noise of battle ricocheted around them. He kept the wards intact as well as he was able, and the pathway open so that Cat could usher people into the infirmary as needed. Valentine had finally showed his face, and with him a host of abominations that Magnus couldn't even begin to qualify. He looked at Raphael standing in the shadows, and Ragnor tracking the warlock's movement, both of them grim. Valentine outnumbered them at least 4 to 1 and they were losing. Warlocks were not trained fighters. They weren't an army and they were being overwhelmed. A pack of wolves, a handful of shadowhunters, untrained warlocks, and a few deserters from the fae realms, were not enough to hold Valentine back.

Magnus looked at the bright afternoon sky and took a deep breath. Getting the general off the field was one of the oldest strategies in the book. If he could draw Valentine out, and separate him from the troops, they'd have a better chance, because right now they were lost.

Magnus walked down the steps of the church, dodging shadowhunters and wolves as he went. Ragnor grabbed his arm. "Magnus what are you doing?"

He looked at his best friend. The closest thing he'd ever had to a brother and smiled. "Giving us a chance. Don't worry so, I'll be fine." Shaking his arms lose he pushed further into the fray. This would either work or it wouldn't, but he had to try. He spared a moment to think of Alexander. He hoped like hell he was right, that he'd figured out exactly what Astarte had put into motion. If he was wrong…..well he desperately hoped he wasn't.

Alec couldn't concentrate, blood dripped into his eyes. 3 Shadowhunters surrounded him and his bow had long since run out of arrows. Magnus' protection spell was the only reason he could still stand. His body was on fire, every muscle he had straining with the effort to hold the enemy back. He'd lost Jace. He'd lost Magnus. All he could see were the faces of those trying to kill him.

Throwing his body to the side he avoided a seraph blade only to get another cut on his face from one of their knives slicing through the air. He dropped to his knees to avoid another swipe and felt the temperature in the air drop at least 10 degrees. A wave of cold washed over them all, and a loud trumpeting noise rose up in the air.

Alec swung around, the Shadowhutner's attacking him were just as confused, from the steps of the institute a host of Seelie warriors descended. And they just kept coming. There had to be at least a thousand warriors lined up surrounding them all by the time the doors closed, and Alec just gaped. Standing in the middle of them was a tiny little woman with bright flaming hair.

"The battle is over. Valentine is no longer amongst you." Her clear bell like voice rang out over the field. Alec caught sight of Clary and they both gave each other confused looks. Then he started looking for Jace and Magnus and couldn't see them anywhere. Was Magnus responsible for the Seelie Queen's presence? She'd walked right out of the institute. Why wasn't he standing with her?

He stalked forward, his path clearing as if by magic. Once the Queen became aware of him, she bowed her head and it was all Alec could do not to step back in confusion. What the hell was going on?

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood." She said his name formally and with intent, how she even knew his full name was beyond him. Everyone around him that could hear her looked at him in wonder. "My warriors are at your disposal. Use them well." with those words she turned her back on him and walked back into the institute. Meliorn took her place and grinned at him. He'd not had a chance to really get to know the fae warrior, but his sister spoke of him highly.

"As my Queen commands. We are at your service." The entire force shifted position, and the Shadowhunters in the field raised their weapons. The lul in battle apparently over despite what the queen had said. Alec wasn't having it though.

He turned out to the crowd and shouted commandingly from the steps of the institute. "Enough" Everyone on the field looked at him. He had their attention. Now he needed to do something with it. He was betting on them not knowing.

Alec watched the faces around him figure out just who he was. Once the light dawned they all turned their eyes to his hand where his sacrifice rune was no longer visible. He smiled grimly at those that were brave enough to catch his eye. It was time. He faced the crowd of his people, battered, bruised, and all but broken. Valentine had wrecked them and not bothered to stay and help pick up the pieces. Shame filled their eyes, a suffocating weight that Alec shared with them.

Alec raised his voice so they could all hear him, "You probably noticed your sacrifice runes are gone. None of you can hide behind the fear of death any longer. If you stay with Valentine now, it's because you CHOOSE to. He didn't tell you a Downworlder. A warlock approached the fae god of death, the keeper of their underworld, to save all of our lives. There isn't a single Shadowhunter here that doesn't owe him, for either saving their life, or the life of a loved one." Alec moved closer to the crowd on the highest step of the institute and watched the crowd get closer as if to meet him. Shadowhunters turned to face him, lowering their weapons and listening, many faces he recognized and many he didn't, but they needed to know. They might fight in the shadows, but they didn't have to fucking live there.

Looking around he considered their haggard faces, and took a deep breath. He didn't yell, he didn't have to, a solemnity wrapped itself around him and the power of his words commanded the attention of the crowd. "What we face here today is a fundamental issue of morality, I hope you see that. There will be struggles - there always will be - but if we don't come together and fight for one another, we will all lose. Every one of us is privileged to be a part of the Shadow world." Alec put his hands on his hips and looked up at the blue sky above them. "The sun rose today, and you all are alive and have the power to protect the people around you. The Angels blessed us with the power to protect, by making us the line of defense that stands between demons and the mundane."

He dropped his gaze and let his eyes go hard, wicked, steel infused his spine and his tone dropped. The Shadowhunters standing before him shivered with the pure focused intent and the fury in his words. "We DO NOT slaughter those with great power out of fear, we DO NOT torture people out of fear of what they are capable of, we DO NOT destroy lives for sport. That is not what we were created for, and if that's what you stand for then from this day forward we stand apart. I will uphold my duty to the Angels by protecting this world, not from the people in it, but from the demons that cross our borders." Alec took a deep breath and centered himself. Thinking of Magnus and his face at the understanding of what Muriel had meant by Sanctuary. He clenched his fists.

"Today, we make this institute a Sanctuary. A place of refuge for any member of the Shadow World that is lost, hurt, scared, or in need. We will work together, side by side, to protect our home. If you want your children to remember your name without shame, you'll walk away from the circle, the clave, and the hate. You'll remake yourself and honor the vow of protection that our race was built to uphold. To continue this fight you must acknowledge that you are no Shadowhunter, but a puppet for a man that wants nothing but to destroy." With those final words, Alec turned away from the crowd to head back into the institute. The crowd behind him cheered, and laid down their weapons, but he didn't have the same luxury. It had been too long since he'd seen Magnus and he could feel the bond between them stretched thin. Following his senses he went to find Jace, hoping his parabatai could tell him just what the hell had happened.

Alec pushed through the crowd of injured Downworlders and made his way to the opps area. The Queen, Ragnor, and Catarina were standing side by side, looks of grim determination on their faces. He walked up to them. "Where's Magnus? I can't find him."

They each looked at him and he felt the dread well up in his stomach. "What's going on?" he snapped.

Cat approached him with her hand outstretched, but he jerked backwards. "Alec." She said softly.

Alec clenched his fists and slammed one down on the table. "What the fuck is going on?" He yelled, but he knew. He could feel it. Something was wrong. Magnus was shielding him, and he'd been distracted by the battle and the Queen but he could feel it now. The bond wasn't stretched thin, Magnus was muting the bond.

"We don't know. I'm sorry Alec we don't know what he was doing. He just walked into the battle and said he was giving us a fighting chance. 10 minutes later, Valentine was off the field and the Queen walked out of a portal into the institute with an army" Cat said everything as succinctly as she could, Alec knew she was trying to give him time to get his shit together.

All he could think was Magnus hadn't promised him not to do something stupid. He'd made Alec promise, but he hadn't promised himself. Not that it would have made a difference if he had. Their morning together was a lifetime away and Alec wanted nothing but to crawl back into the memory. The Queen was staring at him, silent from where she stood and her eyes had a look he couldn't parse. Almost like she was seeing what he was thinking. "Please, he's alive. I'd know if he wasn't." He said softly, there was something in him that said she could help.

"I've known Magnus since he was a child." She clasped her hands together before her, and Alec could tell she was fighting the urge to fidget. "I can say with some certainty that if it comes down to saving your lives... our lives, he will give his without question, in service to that. Family is his beating heart." A kind of fierce obstinacy took over her face. "I owe him perhaps more than my life is worth." She looked around at all of them. "So I won't stand aside. I'll get you to him shadowhunter, after that it's up to you."

Alec watched her remove her robe so she stood before them in a sheer gauzy dress. She pulled a necklace from around her throat and dropped it on the floor. She stomped on it and a cloud of misty pink magic swirled up around her.

Clary stumbled into the room with no regard for what the Fae Queen was doing, her fear clearly needing Alec to reassure her, "Alec I can't find Jace." She said frantically. Alec wished like hell he could tell her Jace was fine, but he was struggling to feel anything at the moment.

Alec turned toward her to offer some comfort, but before he could speak flute music began playing, and a loud flash nearly blinded him. Butterfly wings made entirely of light erupted from the Queen's back, her body tensed and he watched her skin become a shimmering rose gold with shots of dark green wove through. Alec realized it was her veins right as a portal exploded before them and everything went dark. Pain like he'd never known tore through him, and he screamed an agonizing wail. Dropping to his knees, his throat raw from screaming, he bent over until his forehead touched the ground. Everything was fire. Pain. Raw. He screamed again as a latent pulse boiled his blood. Clary was on her knees beside him, the warlock's we're trying to heal him. The Queen looked down at him, horror and sorrow in her eyes.

He could no longer feel Magnus.

Chapter 9 - Underworld - Posted

Alec breathed as deeply as he could and struggled up to his knees, Clary supporting his weight. Magnus wasn't dead was a mantra in his mind as they'd stepped through the portal together, the others staying behind to make sure the injured were all right and no more surprises were in store.

Looking around Alec couldn't help but shake his head in disgust. It was like standing in the center of the earth, they were in a cavern but it wasn't empty. A garden had once filled the center of the large stone room, but the only thing Alec could smell was the decay, it filled his nose and his stomach rolled in response. Bushes with leaves dripping onto the ground, slimey and black, lined a path forward. Alec tried to distract himself, but they had stepped into a dying world.

Clary pulled out her witchlight and took a few steps with Alec's arm over her shoulder, but he'd managed to catch his breath so he stood up on his own and put his hand over his mouth. His back was on fire where the soulbond rune rested, but his parabatai rune was pulsing. Alec put a hand on his stomach and tried to focus.

"Clary, Jace is here somewhere, and he's okay." He added the last part because he wanted someone to not feel like total shit. Rubbing at his soulbond on his back, he started forward doing his best to feel out their location and Jace relative to them. He couldn't hear anything, but the darkness around them didn't exactly feel empty.

"Oh thank god." Clary marched forward now, purpose in every step, Alec walked just in front of her guiding her towards Jace. Alec couldn't tell how much time had passed when he started hearing noises, like weapons clanging against one another. He looked at Clary and they both paused, then together started running towards the sound.

Clary grabbed his arm and pulled him, pointing up he saw what she was pointing to. Jace and Magnus were side by side facing off against Valentine on the ridge above them. Alec scrambled up the slope and pulled himself up over the ledge. He held his hand down to pull Clary up behind him. Alec turned and saw Jace swinging his blade, and Magnus slinging blue fire from his fingers. They were thoroughly wrapped up in their fight and didn't notice Clary and Alec coming upon them. Alec crouched down and crawled behind a rock, "We can come up behind them but I don't want to distract Magnus or Jace."

"We shouldn't wait too long." Clary whispered and edged out in front of Alec. When they both felt like they'd waited for the right moment, Clary threw her dagger at Valentine's back, and Alec slid forward swinging his sword in a tight arc. Jace flipped backwards beside Clary and snarled as Valentine swung his own sword at his daughter. Alec rolled to the side out of the way and caught the grin that Magnus flashed at him before he jumped back to his feet. Valentine hadn't waited for them to get into position though, he'd come up behind Magnus and shoved him to the far edge of the field. Alec realized too late that they were actually standing on the side of a cliff.

It all happened so fast.

Valentine had Magnus on the edge of a cliff, his seraph blade against his throat. Alec gasped "No". And ran forward to stop him, but he was too far away. Valentine was speaking but Alec couldn't hear, he saw Magnus turn towards him and wince, but he shook his head. Alec screamed when Valentine plunged his sword into Magnus' stomach and pushed him over the edge of the cliff. Alec fell to his knees, the pain from before a distant memory as lava poured down his back, his flesh had been severed. He heard Clary scream, but all he could do was feel the pain.

"Alec, Alec, come on you have to get up." Clary was pulling at him desperately but he couldn't pull himself together.

"I can't." He cried as the cold from the stone floor seeped into his skin. He just wanted to die.

"You're still alive, as long as you're still alive we might be able to save him, but you have to get up Alec!" Clary was desperate. Drifting inside the pain he he heard her words, and pushed to his hands and knees. Alec crawled to the edge of the cliff and looked down. He could see a river, and a cavern of darkness. He activated every rune he had in hopes it would help him see, but Magnus was gone. The river below them flowed into darkness on either side, and Alec felt every last hope he carried inside of him evaporate. Clary was pulling at his arm still.

"We can't do this alone, we need you. Magnus needs you." She yelled in his ear.

Alec could vaguely hear clanging swords again. Jace he thought. Jace was alive, and fighting Valentine. He had to help him. Valentine had to pay. Alec set his shoulders and shoved the pain down. He was a Shadowhunter. Deep even breaths. Again he snarled. Deep even breaths. There it was. He'd found it.

Rage.

Alec's palms scraped against the ground and he tightened his muscles. Standing on shaky legs he nodded to Clary and walked forward. He could see Jace and Valentine fighting so he drew his sword and lengthened his stride. Clary matched him step for step and they dove into the battle once again.

Jace grunted in acknowledgement, "we've got this," he said as he spun away from a wide swing from Valentine. Other than that no words were exchanged. The three Shadowhunters beat at Valentine until he was laying on the ground, seraph blade behind him sweat and blood dripping into his eyes. Alec raised his sword, prepared to shove it into the man's chest but a burst of power stopped him.

Valentine cackled, moaned, and screamed all in the space of five seconds. A black tar like substance dripped down his face like his blood was morphing into black sludge. He pulled himself up to his hands and knees and laughed again, "I put in too much time and effort to destroy the tanited. I will not be defeated." He shouted into the darkness around them. "I will not be defeated." He growled and Alec watched in horror as the man's body elongated. His chest expanded, his head bulged, and the black tar covered nearly every visible part of his body. He was darkness walking, and Alec had to draw in a breath to settle his fear. What had he become? Could they even fight him? Jace snapped him out of his thoughts by not waiting for answers, he swung his blade at Valentine but it was deflected. Clary joined him so Alec dove back in.

This new version of Valentine was fast. He was like a demon, a greater demon even, and the three Shadow hunter's struggled to control the situation. They could barely keep up with him as he deflected their attacks and threw them all around like they were rag dolls.

Jace and Clary coordinated an attack, but Valentine managed to get passed their defenses and slammed both of them into the ground where the groaned unable to get back up. Alec attacked from behind, but he too was overpowered. A foot on his throat. The monster, because Alec could no longer see any humanity in the thing, brought its tar covered face closer. "My spies told me you had bonded yourself to that demon blooded abomination I killed. How did it feel when I gutted him?"

Alec cried out as the monster crushed his throat. Incapable of words he struggled, pulling his body back and forth to try and escape the monster's hold. He just wasn't strong enough. Magnus was dead, and Alec was about to follow him. He closed his eyes trying not to let the darkness drown him, trying to recall memories of Magnus' bright open face. Pain was all he knew. A part of him just wanted to let go, let go and everything would be over. But Clary's words wouldn't leave him. As long as he was alive, there was a chance.

Alec took a breath and put his hands on the monsters foot, instead of fighting him, the figure above him went still. Silence weighed down the room, like a heavy blanket was smothering them. Alec could no longer hear his own breaths. He could only feel the pressure of silence. The monster's head snapped to the right, beyond what Alec was capable of seeing, but it was just enough of a distraction for him to scramble away. When he looked up he wanted to cry out but his throat was too damaged. A bright light illuminated all the dark corners of the room, and Magnus walked out of the light. His eyes blazing yellow and his magic a controlled explosion around the monster, slamming him back into the wall.

The monster slowly rose to his feet, but Magnus was there warping to him instantly shoving him forward with a burst of blue flame. The black tar on Valentine increased in intensity, dripping onto the ground as he swung knocking Magnus back. The warlock barely seemed winded, as he came back again with another burst of blue flame. The monster stumbled and roared out in pain as Magnus' magic pulled rocks from the walls and spikes from the ceiling, sending them flying at him ripping through the inky black tar covering his flesh.

Furious, the monster lunged at Magnus, reaching for him he grabbed him by the throat from behind. Magns stared at Alec and it was like they were on the same wavelength, their bond had been damaged, but Alec knew exactly what Magnus was about to do. Reaching for his seraph blade, he threw himself forward when Magnus set the creature's hands on fire. Magnus' body dropped to the ground and he rolled to his stomach, Alec drove his blade into Valentine's chest before he could move away. He shoved until his hands were covered in the black substance dripping down the monster's body.

Alec breathed deeply, he knew Magnus was behind him on the ground, but he couldn't make himself let go of the blade inside Valentine's chest. The thing was dead, he couldn't feel any movement or life coming from it, but he couldn't let go. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Magnus came up beside him and gently removed his hands from the sword, pulling him into his arms.

"Alexander." Magnus said through a choked whisper, "are you okay darling?" Alec just looked at him frantically, almost as if he couldn't believe Magnus was there. Magnus let his magic pour over him, healing his wounds and Alec finally gasped.

"Angels I thought you were dead." Alec was very near to tears, his desperation clearly visible. Magnus squeezed his hands and tried to ground him in the touch of his skin.

"Jace, is he okay?" Alec shook his head and pulled back, getting to his feet quickly he pulled at Magnus' arm, and drug him over to his parabatai. Both he and Clary were still out cold on the ground.

"Can you heal them?" Alec was still whispering, and Magnus wanted desperately to wrap him up in his arms and not let him leave for weeks, but they had to get out of here. His magic drifted down to the hurt couple, he wasn't the best at healing, but in a pinch he could make it work. Magnus felt Alec's hand on his back when an explosion rocked the room. Rocks fell from the walls, and the caves spires trembled.

"Magnus…" Alec stuttered grabbing onto him while looking around.

"We're in the dead garden Alec, we need to get the hell out of here." Magnus said in a rush.

"What's the dead garden?" Alec crouched down and moved Jace so that he was on his back, and then pushed him into a sitting position. Then reached for Magnus, and Magnus wanted to cry. Alec was afraid to stop touching him for too long.

"It's the entrance to Tech Duin, and if we don't get out of here now, we'll be stuck here forever." Magnus sent another burst of healing magic to the two Shadowhunters, and they both snapped awake. Magnus and Alec pulled them to their feet, and Magnus opened a portal back to the institute. Alec pushed Clary through and then Jace, but just as he was about to step through the portal, it exploded throwing them back against the stone walls. Magnus stood up and pulled Alec to his feet. The world around them was collapsing because with the doors of hell opened up, the monsters were free to descend upon the world.

Alec turned to Magnus inquiringly. "I think hell needed to be unbound, I think by binding it the world was unbalanced." Magnus looked around, "I think the unbalance is what drove part of the taint in the fae realms." Magnus stumbled forward trying to open the portal again, but his magic wasn't stabilized.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Alec looked around as if he were searching for a door.

Magnus pulled him forward, maybe if they stepped down into the garden itself he could draw on remnant power of the fae. Valentine's body was motionless and Magnus spared a glance back at it before pulling Alec along. Something inside of him said that wasn't over. The dead garden was just as revolting as it had been the first time Magnus walked through here, but he dropped to his knees in the rotting growth and pushed Alec down beside him. Holding hands with the nephilim, he looked into himself for his magic and had to control his need to gasp. Beside them flowers began to grow.

Well that wasn't good.

Flicking his wrist, he pulled a portal into existence and stood up, he'd found magic but it wasn't the remnant magic of the fae. Alec walked through first without saying a word to Magnus. In fact Magnus was a little concerned with the overall quietness the Shadowhunter was exuding. Before stepping through the portal he tapped into his bond, and almost collapsed on the floor. Oh my god he thought. Oh my god.

"What the hell were you thinking Magnus!?" Catarina shouted at him the minute they appeared in the operations room. Magnus couldn't get out a reply before Alec was wrapped around him like a limpet.

"Hold that thought, I need to fix this." He turned Alec around and put his hands on Alec's back, Magnus sent a cool refreshing burst of magic to Alec healing their bond and pushing out all of the broken bits that had come from Valentine killing him. He should have fixed this first. He should have ignored Clary and Jace, and fixed the broken bond first. God how had Alec stood it, and why had he felt so broken when Magnus was able to carry on? It didn't make sense he thought. Alec had grit his teeth and born the pain of their broken bond, but Magnus had been fine. Damnit he thought.

"You can do that and talk at the same time, explain yourself." Ragnor said with a fierce determination of someone who was feeling just the slightest bit guilty. Magnus realized he blamed himself for letting Magnus go in the battle, so he kept his arms around Alec and turned back to face his friends.

Alec wasn't having it though. He just wrapped himself further around Magnus until there was no space at all between them. "You died." He whispered in a choked off voice. "You died and I thought…..god Magnus….I was...ripped to." Alec was gasping trying to get it out, but he could hardly catch his breath.

Magnus whimpered, that was the last thing he'd ever wanted to do to Alec. The bond hadn't been completely severed though he didn't know why, he did know he could fix it though. He stroked his hands down Alec's back and said, "Darling, I'm so sorry, I'm so very sorry, but I'm here now and it's over." He said the words as soothingly as he knew how into Alec's ear. Alec didn't sob, but Magnus felt the shaky breaths on his cheek. His own shaky breaths matching.

Alec pulled his control around him like a cloak, and stood back from Magnus' arms, a cool expression came over his face and Magnus wanted to cry. Alec was pulling on a mask so he could deal. He felt a jolt inside seeing Alec stand so far away from him, like Alec was trying to distance himself. Like he was closing himself off from everyone.

Magnus could hear Catarina, Ragnor, and Raphael talking but he couldn't make out the words. The space Alec was putting between them had created a fog that Magnus couldn't pull himself out of. "Alexander don't pull away from me, not now." The voices around them increased in volume, but Magnus continued to ignore them. "I can't…."

Alec looked into his eyes and Magnus watched him fold in on himself. "Okay." he said quietly, over and over, "Okay."

Magnus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Alec again. Clary and Jace came tripping through the door making happy noises at seeing Alec and Magnus. Magnus allowed Clary to hug Alec and himself, but went right back to holding onto his Shadowhunter the minute she stepped away. Magnus sent another burst of healing magic to Alec before he turned to finally face Cat, Raphael and Ragnor. Prepared to tell them everything, he was interrupted when a chilling wind whirled around the room and Magnus tightened his hold on Alec. When he stepped back he looked over his shoulder to see the Fae god of the underworld standing next to Muriel.

"Magnus, are you ready?" The haunting voice of the god made Magnus cringe.

"I need more time." He said desperately.

Alec tensed up in his arms, "Magnus what's going on?"

"I had to open the gates of Tech Duinn, the nightmares have been released. Donn…"

Alec cut him off. "No. No. No. This is not happening." Alec turned to Muriel. "You can't do this, you cannot take him after you gave him to me."

Her face went sad and she shook her head. "Alec, if there were any other way we could have done this we would."

"What have you done!" He shouted and Magnus ran his hands soothingly down his back but it was like a heat was coming from his body that Magnus couldn't tamp down. A white light exploded out of Alec and everyone was thrown back. Magnus stared. What in the holy hell. Alec was not magic. He didn't have power, and he had not drawn it from Magnus he would have felt it. He scrunched his brow in confusion looking up at where Alec stood above him. He was glowing with a fury like nothing Magnus had ever seen. It's like it built up inside of him, and it poured out of him in waves, pressing them all into the ground.

With a snap the power was cut off and Magnus swung around. A woman had joined Donn and Muriel, pale skin with red hair down to her waist in large ringlets. She was gorgeous and very very see through. Magnus had been thrown to the ground, and Alec had dropped down beside him on his knees in a battle crouch ready to surge forward and do some damage the minute the power was diminished. Magnus put a hand on his arm, he really didn't need the love of his life trying to kill gods.

"Pyrrah was right you did want the doors to Tech Duin opened, Aunt Astarte." Magnus watched everyone around him either go wide eyed or just look on in pure confusion.

"Of course she was and that fear nearly killed her. This world is about balance Magnus. You know that. Yin and Yang is the oldest understanding of harmony in the world. And that balance, it is delicate. For magic to exist we all must do our part." She waved her hand at the room collectively, a beautiful glossy shimmer following her movements.

"Magnus" Alec asked from beside him, "are you okay?" Ignoring the higher powered beings surrounding them. He only had eyes for Magnus and something in him shifted at that. Alec would never place anyone else above him, gods, demons, or even other shadowhunters were always going to be a secondary concern, and wasn't that just the most miraculous thing. In that moment, Magnus realized with absolute certainty that Alec loved him.

"Yes darling I'm alright." Magnus took Alec's hand and squeezed it. Acknowledging his concern and cementing his own understanding of their bond. Alec literally walked through a hell realm to find him. Magnus had no idea, though he suspected Pyrrah, how Alec had made it to the dead garden in the fae underworld, but Alec had literally placed himself firmly at Magnus' side and he wasn't going anywhere. Both of their futures were at stake here, and he knew he had to face his fear. He turned his gaze to Astarte. "What am I?" His voice didn't come out shaky much to his surprise, but his body tensed in anticipation of the answer. What she said could very well rip him away from Alexander. Push him towards something he'd been avoiding since he was old enough to understand who his father really was.

Muriel shook her head and smiled mysteriously answering before his aunt could. "You are yourself Magnus Bane." Magnus looked at her consideringly. Even wounded and barely back from the dead, Magnus' mind was whirling.

"I don't want the Fae realm." He said with finality.

Astarte let out a huff and brought Magnus' eyes to her. "Oh believe me I know, you wretched troublesome child. If you would have overthrown your father centuries ago we could have perhaps avoided at least 3 quarters of this mess. However," She held up her finger as the others tried to interrupt. "You wouldn't be you,.. you could be a king of any realm if you so choose, but I think it is far better that you stand as a watcher of Kings. That dose of humility will keep them balanced. And I think the fate of the world might be well and truly balanced with the two of you," she motioned at Alec, "taking care of the riff raff." Astarte said with a wink.

Donn stepped forward. "The damage we have all wrought is telling enough therefore I release you from the bonds of death. The gates of my realm have been released, I think that is enough for now Magnus Bane." He turned to Astarte and took her ghostly hand, they turned their backs on everyone and walked back into the light. Only Muriel remained.

"What about Valentine?" Clary asked from where she'd hopped up on a table to sit beside Jace.

Muriel took a deep breath. "Valentine is dead."

"But is he really though?" Clary pushed.

Muriel watched her with a small smile. "Clever girl. He is an abomination and Donn will see him join the host. He is no longer Nephilim, but no longer is he human either. His consciousness is no longer bound to humanity."

"So what now?" Jace asked.

"The Fae realms will slowly heal themselves, and while they do it will be up to you to keep the mundane world safe from the nightmares of Tech Duin. You have declared this place a sanctuary, but you will need more. The Clave and the Circle will not go quietly, but it is up to you to keep the balance."

"We get to keep our runes?" Jace asked shocked.

"I think you will find that there are more Shadowhunter's willing to join your cause than you imagine, my brother will not punish you for taking this path because I will not allow it. The Nephilim have many resources and many traditions, it is time I think that those traditions are bound to protection and not to sacrifice. Make something new here, the world needs it." Muriel bowed to Alec and tilted her head to Jace, and with those final words she left as well.

Magnus laid down on the ground and sighed. "I'm done. I'm so completely over all of this drama."

"What the hell happened?!" Raphael burst out. Alec laid down beside him on the ground and took his hand. Magnus turned to him and smiled.

"Well from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star crossed lovers do not in fact take their lives." Magnus intoned from the floor.

"Magnus fucking Shakespeare really, be serious damnit, what the fuck did you do!" Raphael said just as fiercely as before.

"Well friends, I ascended to godhood I think. Pretty sure I did. They're not making me go back to the Fae realm though so I think maybe I'm not full on god mode, but like somewhere in between. Maybe." Magnus sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees.

"So when Valentine stabbed you?" Jace said cautiously.

"I fell into the river Styx funnily enough, Donn gave me a coin for the ferryman when Alec and I spoke with him the first time, and I walked into Tech Duin. I was dead. Really dead. The fact that Alec is still breathing means they did something because they knew this was a possibility, but I have no idea what. Anyway, crossed the river and opened the door and released the locks from within. I'm going to bet money that Astarte gave me the power when I was a kid. Not sure why she didn't just do it herself, but here we are guys."

Everyone sat on the floor. They had a whole group of Nephilim to sort out, the Fae queen had apparently aligned herself with Magnus and Alec, they had a new downworld alliance to create and they were sitting in the presence of a god. No one really knew what to do with any of it.

"So what about Pizza. Can we have pizza? Do gods eat pizza?" Clary asked where she was wrapped around Jace.

"Pizza sounds heavenly." Magnus whispered and watched his friends, his family, laugh hysterically over nothing. The stress, the pain, the hell they'd all been through was seeping out of them in laughter and Magnus had to smile at the wonder of their lives. How differently it all would have turned out if Alec hadn't become his perfect match. Looking over at Alec laughing with Jace, Magnus was beyond grateful that his Aunt had paved the way to allowing him to have this man. It almost didn't matter why, but he could feel the question floating around in his mind.

Why had he she bothered, what had she gotten out of it? A tiny flash lit up his mind and Magnus gasped as Alec looked right at him. They both could see a lush green clearing with marble columns and a marble stone dias. Magnus turned his head but the image did not fade. Astarte. She was showing him why. Magnus felt Alec's fingers wrap around his own as they were both plunged into the past.

Chapter 10 - Riptide - Posted

Alec stepped up beside Magnus so he could see beyond the stone dais, and barely controlled his need to gasp. As far as he could see into the horizon, dead creatures littered the ground. Fires lit up some areas, and weapons were scattered everywhere. In the sky angels were fighting angels, on the ground centaurs swords were clanging against each other. He turned wide eyes to Magnus, but he was just as shocked. What the hell thought Alec? They'd been thrust onto some battlefield. But where?

"The Angel wars." Magnus said in a whisper.

Alec was about to ask what the hell Magnus was talking about when he heard the despondent wail of someone in pain. To his left, just on the other side of Magnus, two women knelt on the ground. Beautiful wings folded behind them, a pair of white and a pair of black, and they knelt shoulder to shoulder beside the body of another angel. He couldn't see their faces, but Alec knew the one wailing in sorrow was Muriel. Astarte was holding her hand and trying her best to soothe the other angel. She ran a pale white hand across Muriel's long blonde curls, shushing her and murmuring. They weren't wearing armor, and didn't have weapons on them. Both women wore long white dresses. Clearly they weren't part of the battle. Muriel turned further into Astarte for comfort and their wings shifted baring their backs to Alec's gaze. He gaped. They had the souldbond rune drawn between their wings. They were bonded. The orchestrators of this whole mess had the same damn bond he and Magnus had. The one that Muriel had freaking forced on them. He nudged Magnus to make sure he saw, and he turned to Alec. "You have got to be kidding me." He said furiously.

"Why didn't they tell us?" Alec asked just as furious.

"Better yet, who is showing us this now?" Alec shushed him, the angels were talking. He moved closer to them so he could hear. He wasn't sure how he knew, but they weren't actually in the past, they were just watching it.

"Asta what are we going to do?" Muriel cried, heaving through sobbs.

"They chose to fight the war on mortal lands darling, they all knew what that would mean, but I don't know how to fix him. For as long as I've been fallen, I've never seen an angel die in this world." Astarte staid sadly.

"He's the angel of hope Asta, we can't let his power fade. If he fades from this world truly, we lose everything. He's the guardian of the source. How could they do this?!" Astarte pulled Muriel in close for a hug to comfort the other angel.

"They were not thinking, this destruction makes that very clear." Astarte's wings fluttered and she shook Muriel a little. "My brother, the others, they do not feel the world as you and I do. They cannot see beyond their own pride and anger." Astarte stood and ran a hand over Muriel's wings as she looked at the war torn battlefield. "We should find the source and see if it has any guidance as it is his guardian that has perished. Surely he felt his passing."

Muriel wiped the tears from her face. "What about Orphiel?"

Astarte waved her hand and a glass orb appeared, "We'll store his essence in here until the source can guide us."

Muriel sniffed but nodded, and the angel on the ground before the two women became a sparkling dust that poured into the glass orb.

Alec was about to ask Magnus what he thought of the actions his aunt took when the scene before them shifted. Once again Astarte was on her knees, though this time Muriel was not present. She was bowing low before a tree. One of the largest Alec had ever seen. He couldn't see into the branches, but there was something there. Something that Astarte was speaking to.

"I have been the Queen mother of the Fae for thousands of years." She said waspishly.

"And you will have to sacrifice that balance, the balance of the world, to preserve the essence of hope. Is that a risk you're willing to take?" The voice sounded young, no more than that of a child as it asked Astarte.

"To lose the essence of hope, unfairly unbalances the world? How does preserving it come with risk?" Astarte was smart and Magnus nodded his head along with her question. Alec had a bad feeling about this. Who the hell was she talking to.

"The only way to preserve the essence of the Angel of hope is to lock him in an undying realm, you must seal it so that he cannot fade until a suitable host is found for his power." The sing song voice whispered through the leaves. They rustled with his voice and Alec squinted to see if he could get a look.

Astarte sighed and sat down. No longer kneeling, she put her head in her hands. "Do you feel nothing for the one you lost?" She raged at the creature in the tree. A crackling electricity worked its way through the branches and snapped, throwing Alec's head back.

"Do not speak to me of loss Astarte. You know nothing of what I endure here in this realm without him. And if you speak so carelessly again, I will end you." The voice sounded like that of a demon, the darkest of hearts, and the wickedest fears. It made Alec shiver. The creature in the tree was no child.

"What do I do?" She whispered defeated.

From the branches a small roguelike character dropped beside her. He was perhaps the size of a 9 year old. He sat in his brown leather leggings, and cream colored tunic, right beside the angel. His head was covered in a hood, so Alec couldn't see his face as he folded his arms around his knees and said seriously, "What you knew must be done when you entered this grove. Before you poked your stick in my heart. I am already fading Asta. Without him to ground me here, I am fading. The world will weaken, and I will be reborn. This cycles is as it's meant to be. Do not fret."

Astarte leaned against the boy. "I had hoped you'd have another path, a little bit of the hope we're about to lose I guess." She said it clearly resigned to whatever she was about to do.

"One day a prince will come." The sing song voice was back, and the boy leapt once again into the branches.

"You're going to die." She shouted up at the tree angrily.

The boy swung down, his knees holding him in place, looking at Astarte upside down. "No Asta, I will fade as we all must, but a vessel will be born that calls me out of the darkness. If you're very lucky, he will appoint a host for the hope you're about to bind unto hell." Alec was startled by the boys words, because they no longer held the sound of youth, but the weight of the wisdom of the world. As he finished speaking the boy looked right at Alec and winked.

Magnus gripped his arm and said "Oh shit, I know what happened." The scene before them swirled again. This time Astarte was alone and they were once again in the dead garden, only this time Alec was seeing what was on the other side of the river styxx and it wasn't dead. The path to the doors of hell were covered with every piece of nature imaginable. Stones marked out the path to the doors and Astarte stepped on them carefully as she made her way through the vibrant paradise.

Astarte stood before a door made out of black iron. Very fitting for hell thought Alec, though it contrasted heavily with the lush greenery. She pushed open the doors and they followed her through. On the other side Muriel waited for her. The two women wore robes, rather than dresses, and as they came closer to one another, they let their wings unfurl.

Alec and Magnus hung back as they faced one another, cupping the glass ball in their hands they began to sing. Beautiful haunting lyrics floated through the halls, a sound of harmony and mourning all at once. A pedestal rose up from the ground and the two women sat the crystal down. The pedestal sank back into the ground and they both shed their robes. Black wings fluttered with white wings and black fire engulfed them both startling Alec.

A blue shining light pierced the black cloud, and as it dissipated, Alec realized it was their bond. Glowing through the darkening mist surrounding them. Once it had fully gone they both picked up their robes and redressed themselves.

"He is bound and the gates are locked. Nightmares will no longer be able to pass beyond the gates on either side. They will remain where they dwell both above and below." Astarte said softly. Alec looked around confused for a moment, until he saw Donn step out of the shadows.

"So you have completed the ritual?" He asked in his creepy voice. Alec was struck by just how much the being looked exactly the same as if no time at all had passed. Black dripping hair, skull like face, and a crown of thorns.

"It was destined." Astarte said with finality.

"Am I to be bound as well?" Said the bone like figure.

"No of course not, just the host and the creatures of the realm. You are the guardian, not the maker."

Donn nodded his skull like head and turned away from the red haired angel and her bonded. They turned away as well, and as Alec and Magnus followed them out the doors closed behind them sealing the darkness inside. With the final clang, the garden around them died slowly withering until they were surrounded by darkness and rot.

"What have we done Asta?" Muriel asked with sorrow in her voice.

"What we must. There is nothing to guide us, the source has withered and will soon be gone. We must carry on and hope he spoke wisely, though our hope is now bound behind the walls of hell it is not entirely gone." Astarte put her arm around Muriel.

"I fear the consequences." Muriel turned into Astarte wrapping her arms around the other Angel.

"As do I my darling, as do I."

The scene shifted and Alec thought this would be the final revelation. Astarte sat in a room holding a child, and Alec knew with barely a glance, that she was holding Magnus. He was around 8 or 9, and curled up against her dead asleep. Magnus twitched under his hand as Muriel came in the room.

"Asta, what are you doing?" Muriel whispered so as not to wake the child.

Alec watched Asta sigh with something like regret. "His mother has wounded him deeply, I sometimes comfort him if he'll allow it."

Muriel crouched beside the chair and ran a hand across Magnus' hair. "He is resilient. Perhaps more so than any warlock I've ever observed. He has a power in him, unlike anything I've ever felt."

"You have, though it has been ages. He carries within him the seed of the source." Astarte said softly, and Alec had to lean a little closer to hear her.

Muriel looked startled. "What?"

"I knew when he was born, though it has been over a millenia. He told me he would return in a vessel. That he would be called from the darkness. I never thought it would be my brother's child, but In a way it makes sense. Anyone other than the child of a full blood Seraphim would wither under the weight of this power. Or they would tap into it and destroy the world. That he has done neither speaks to his strength and the wisdom of the source."

Muriel sat fully on the floor her back against the chair, her head tilted back in Astarte's lap. "He'll free the power of hope from where you sealed it away."

"I think so yes."

"Then why do I feel so hopeless?" Muriel asked sorrow lacing her tone.

"Because I do not think he will open the doors before the Fae realm collapses. The rot has reached the heart of the realm, and if it's not pushed back, my people will die." Tears fell down her cheeks, and she ran a hand through Magnus' hair, and then did the same to Muriel.

"I don't want you to go. I hate this Asta, we've been apart for so long I just don't know how any of it is worth it anymore."

"I know darling, but as ever we do what we must. Watch over Kai for me will you. I have a feeling he's going to need some guidance. My brother can be a shithead."

Muriel laughed though tears were now falling freely down her face. "I swear upon our bond, I will guard him as well as I'm able."

"There is no better guardian angel than that of peace. Bring him peace my darling."

The two women sat there cradling Magnus between them and the vision came to an end.

Magnus and Alec gasped as they suddenly came back to the present in bright vivid technicolor.

"You're the source of all fucking magic."

"You're the freaking angel of hope."

They both said to each other at the same time, as their friends, who were just discussing pizza toppings gaped at them.

Magnus and Alec escaped as soon as their friends released them, and stumbled into the room that Alec had been given at the institute. At best it was serviceable, but it had a bed so neither one of them were really complaining. Alec striped, and had a moment of insecurity about whether or not Magnus would be okay with him just assuming, but the warlock paid him no mind as he came out of the bathroom and fell into the bed. Alec got ready for bed in the bathroom, and came back out to see Magnus curled up under the covers. He crawled in beside him and pulled Magnus into his arms.

"What the hell did we just see?"

Magnus rubbed a hand across Alec's bare chest. "I think we should talk about it tomorrow. I don't think I'm ready to…"

Alec could hear the uncertainty in Magnus' voice, so he shushed him and leaned down to kiss him. He placed his palm on Magnus' cheek and stared into his eyes, "How are you so damn pretty?"

Magnus' grin lit up the room, and a startled laugh escaped him. "Oh darling, of the two of us, while I am very much a catch, you are prettier." He kissed Alec's nose as he scrunched it up in denial. "Do not argue with me, I know things."

Alec rolled his eyes, and then closed them with a groan as Magnus slipped his leg over Alec's hip. His whole body went tight with anticipation, angels wept at what this man made him feel. Tension coiled tightly in his body as he dropped his hand to Magnus' thigh so he could pull him closer. The heat where their bodies connected made Alec lose his breath. He wanted to bury himself so far inside Magnus that they were no longer separate beings but wholly together.

As if that was the invitation he needed, Magnus dove in pulling Alec's lips to his and kissing the living hell out of him. Alec dug his hands into Magnus' heated skin and returned the kiss just as furiously. It felt like forever since he'd had a moment alone, and he wanted to savor every blessed second. Breathing in with Magnus, the dampness of his breath chilling Alec's lips.

Alec shifted until he'd pushed Magnus under him, and settled himself between his legs. Their bond flared to life and Alec grinned down into Magnus' cat eyes. He rolled his hips just to get Magnus' eyes to widen and his breath to come out in pants. Alec vowed in that moment he was going to spend the rest of their eternity together mapping out every single response Magnus could give him. Drunk, sober, happy or sad, he was going to study this man until he knew every single inch of him inside and out.

Magnus pushed against him, urging him on, to move his hips faster and create more friction. Alec wasn't about to comply. Operation drive Magnus crazy had barely begun, Alec leaned down and whispered into Magnus' ear. Magnus laughed softly said, "I think we've waited long enough Angel."

Alec groaned and inhaled deeply. Magnus wasn't wrong, he leaned down and nuzzled his nose into Magnus' throat licking upwards, loving the little sounds Magnus made. Dipping lower, he licked his way down to Magnus' hips. He rubbed his nose across the bulge in Magnus' silky shorts.

"Please love." Magnus whispered breathlessly.

Alec pushed the shorts down, and took Magnus into his mouth sucking gently on the tip. Magnus' hands came up beside him and clenched the sheets into his fists. Alec swallowed him deeper, raising his eyes up to watch Magnus arch his back and moan low and loud, his fists clenching the sheets tighter.

Alec pulled back and picked up a rhythm that his untrained mouth could handle. He pulled off with a pop and Magnus didn't like that at all, his hands came up to fist into Alec's hair and his cat eyes flashed. Magic tickled its way down his spine and their bond ignited again, Alec was barely touching Magnus and he felt like he was close to going off. Taking a deep breath to get himself under control, he let Magnus guide him back down. Placing a steadying hand on Magnus' hips, Alec tried to take him as deeply as he could wrapping his hand around the base of Magnus dick and stroking up to where his mouth could reach.

Magnus tensed, and his body went rigid. "Darling pull back." He said softly, but Alec was having none of it. If they were doing this, he wasn't going to shy away from tasting Magnus. Magnus' hips jerked and Alec swallowed him down. Alec slid off Magnus as his trembling subsided, and felt the shivers of pleasure in his own body.

Magnus pulled him up to rest beside him. "Good?" Alec asked.

Magnus' eyes went wide. "Alexander you are divinity itself." Magnus brought Alec closer so he could kiss him and stroke Alec's back.

Alec sighed into the darkness. "I know you said you didn't want to talk about it, but who do you think showed us everything from the past?"

Magnus didn't tense up beside him, so Alec thought that was a win he just kissed Alec's deflect rune on his throat. "I think it was my power." Magnus said thoughtfully. Alec waited for Magnus to continue. "I think it wanted me to know the consequences of the bond, and it wanted me to know just what war could do to this world. We need to make sure all of our people can live together without the power struggles."

Alec shifted down so he was staring Magnus in the face, and put his hands under his cheek. "I think we'll be able to do it. Together."

Magnus smiled and brought his finger up to trace Alec's lips. Alec playfully bit the tip and then couldn't resist sucking the finger fully into his mouth. "Angel save me but you are exquisite." Magnus said pulling his finger from Alec's grasp, and smashing their mouths together. His tongue dipped inside and Alec couldn't suppress his moans.

Magnus pulled back, "How am I ever going to get enough of you?"

"Never gonna happen, I love you." Alec said softly.

Magnus wrapped his arms around him once again, and said "I love you too." They sank into one another with smiles on their faces and let each others breathing rock them to sleep.

Magnus stepped up beside Alec and wrapped his arms around his waist. "So are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Alec was clearly nervous so Magnus smoothed his hand down his back.

"My darling, you are incredible, and these people are lucky to have you as their leader." Magnus pulled back a little and straightened Alec's jacket. It was weeks after the cease fire, and Alec was about to give a big Shadowhutner speech for peace, and how the path of their chosen Sanctuary was going to move forward.

Magnus had pushed the power of the source into one of the rooms at the back of the institute, and now a beautiful tree was growing under the light of the stained glass. He wasn't entirely rid of the power, but it was more like a storage locker to lock the power away unless he needed it, to keep him from buzzing so much during the day. The power of the source wasn't speaking to him, it wasn't telling him what to do, but he knew his trip to the underworld had fundamentally altered his relationship to his power. He could see and recognize magic in a way that was entirely new to him.

Alec was just as uneasy with the power of the Angel. He had been granted an Angel's essence, even if it was just an Archangel, it was still a lot. They'd also discovered, with Izzy's help just how far their bond could reach. Navigating their new powers was more of a hobby, they were tip toeing around it as best they were able, most of their day to day time had been taken up with ensuring the downworld and Shadowhunter peace was actually fundamentally working.

Alec had selected representatives from each group to form a council and shockingly enough Pyrrah had actually done as Magnus suggested and passed her crown on. The new Fae Queen was a bit of a spitfire, but she was a good sort. The downworld as a whole was a little bit leary of the two of them, because they didn't really understand what they were, and Magnus and Alec couldn't really provide coherent explanations.

Their friends either thought it was the most romantic thing they'd ever heard, or they were busy with their heads in the books trying to figure out what it all meant. Alec had probably rolled his eyes more in the past few weeks than he had his whole life. The coos from Iz and Clary were about to drive them both mad.

As for Alec and Magnus, they just tried to spend every waking moment together so that they could feel out this relationship. And Magnus had to admit that he'd never been happier in his life, he'd never felt more content, more alive, and just frankly more than he felt with Alec.

"I'd better get on stage. Raphael might actually come over here and murder me if the expression on his face is anything to go by." Alec said with a final squeeze to Magnus before stepping back.

"What sort of expression would you say that is?" Magnus asked with a glance in Raphael's direction.

"Oh I don't know, like he's feeling the need to murder something or someone." Alec said nonchalantly.

Magnus laughed. "I expect he just wants this whole thing to go off without someone actually getting murdered. He's very invested in the lack of drama that comes with peace."

Alec looked at Magnus incredulously, "he is aware that keeping people from killing one another is a whole hell of a lot more difficult than letting them fight each other to death."

Magnus chuckled, "Isabelle stopped me in the hall earlier to tell me just how misinformed Raphael is, about everything. Those two have been fighting for years, but I swear with the introduction of that mundane boy it's only gotten worse." Simon had joined the group after the battle, Jace had saved him, it turns out he'd been a captive of Valentine's for who knows what reason. Clary had taken an instant liking to him, much to Jace's displeasure, but then so had Isabelle. Many people had thoughts about it.

"Raphael actually joined Jace and I for a round of training yesterday. He's avoiding my sister and punishing Jace for bringing the boy to the institute. I'd swear he was a teenager if you hadn't told me how old he was." Alec leaned against the door frame that would lead him onto the stage and Magnus stepped up beside him.

"Have all the leaders made it in do you think?" Magnus asked as he observed the crowd before them.

Alec shrugged. "I guess we'll see, and also just so you know after this speech, I'm getting off that stage, I'm going to talk to the Downworld leaders here and mingle for about an hour, and then you and I are going back to my room and we're not leaving until next week." Alec's voice was quiet but firm, there was absolute finality in ever word as if he were stating the most obvious thing in the world.

Magnus giggled unashamed. "As you command Angel."

Alec smiled in triumph, though it was hardly a championship match, and walked out onto the stage they'd set up for his speech.


End file.
